2061
by Wynja
Summary: The continuation of 2060, in the form of short stories/drabbles. One year has passed since Robin escaped. He is trying to cope with being a Mongrel and now it's time to play with Slade again… winner takes all… Warnings: slash. M/M
1. It Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, or, in the case of this story, Slade, Robin and the name of William Wintergreen… I'm sadly not making any money from this either, so why the hell am I doing it? I have no idea… I hope I never figure it out… ;) Anyway, not mine, don't own, just messing with.

A/N: **Happy Birthday to me**! (one day early, as my b-day is on the 7'th… but I'll be busy eating cake tomorrow… ;) ) Apart from myself (I'm allowed to be narcissistic as it's my b-day) I'd also like to dedicate the first drabble in this collection to **kitsunechibiko** who was my 1.000:nd reviewer for '**2060**'.

As this is a drabble collection, don't expect regular updates. There are other differences as well, like in 2060 it was all, mostly, from Robin's P.O.V, but here we see quite a lot of Slade's thoughts as well… and it's not "divided" into "Robin's P.O.V" and "Slade's P.O.V", it's a mix, so please tell me if it's too hard to follow or something…

This is pretty much a re-introduction chapter to kick things off, so don't expect too much!

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* * *

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2061

**It Begins… **

Slade was working behind his desk when the intercom came to life.

"The Liberation Day spokesperson has arrived, Sir." William's voice told him, somewhat nervously.

"Let him in." Slade told his assistant, and collected his thoughts for the upcoming negotiation. The Mongrel community had changed rather drastically in the last year.

Slade stood up as the ambassador walked in, flanked by heavily armed guards. Four of them. Yes, things had changed indeed. He smiled as the man in the long white robe raised his hood.

"Hello Robin."

"You couldn't even have the decency to look even _slightly_ surprised?" the teen snorted.

"Why would I? I knew you wouldn't allow anyone else to come." Slade shrugged. "Take a seat. William? Send for some refreshments."

"Pardon me, Sir." one of the guards said. "The Mon- the ambassador brought several parcels with him… they are being screened as we speak, but for your safety-?"

"Robin? What are they?" Slade asked the now seated teen.

"Liberation Day presents for the Wintergreens. They are safe, but some quite brittle." the young man answered in what Slade had come to call his 'upper class' voice. The man couldn't help but chuckle quietly as he heard it again after such a long time. He had never thought that he would miss Robin being snooty.

Slade turned to the guard.

"Bring them to the reception. And you can go. You are not needed."

After hesitating to the point of making their boss frown, the guards left.

* * *

Slade walked around his desk and sat down, noticing how Robin lounged comfortably in the chair he had chosen, while looking around the office.

"The cell is gone." The teen noted flatly.

"I saw no need for a display cabinet when I had nothing pretty to put inside it." Slade shrugged, earning a little smirk from Robin.

"I bet you thought that was flattering." the teen snorted.

"It wasn't? I must be out of practice."

"You never _bothered_ to practice."

"Veni, vidi, vici." Slade concurred smugly.

"Says _you_." Robin snorted. "Anyway, I am not here to argue with you about your nonexistent decency, I'm here to do business." he continued.

"Certainly. As always at these meetings, I'm listening." Slade smirked.

"You'll do a whole lot more than that, I hope." Robin smirked back.

* * *

A knock on the door announced William with a tray with two glasses, as well as some cheese, crackers and fresh fruit. Robin's mouth watered as he smelled the cheese. A year ago he wouldn't have been particularly thrilled, but living slightly beyond the edge of society meant you had to go without many things and that others were severely limited.

"Something else you require before we begin?" Slade asked as Robin busied himself with the tray.

"A map of Manhattan would be good. A big one if you have it." he nodded.

"Oh, I have a big one." the man smirked and went over to a cabinet.

"How can you stand him, Will?" Robin grinned at the blond assistant. "Maybe I should offer you a job instead?"

"I doubt you have any health-insurance, and I think I'd need it." William grinned carefully back.

"Well… good to see you again, anyway." Robin shrugged. "I hope we can talk later? I'd love to meet everyone after this… I brought presents!"

"I'm sure mum would be bursting through the door as we speak if she knew you were here…" William said with a little sigh. "Sir?" he asked Slade.

"I'll let you know." The man told him, returning with the map. "If all goes well here… we'll see."

William nodded.

"Anything else, Sir?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you." the man nodded and William left.

Robin sat back in his chair, munching on a cracker so stuffed with cheese it could barelyhold its weight, and sipping on a glass of carbonated water. He did his best to look calm and collected, but his heart was racing.

He knew Slade held all the cards here. Sure, the man always _had_; even after escaping, Robin knew the man could have put a greater effort into catching him, or, if he chose too, simply wipe the Mongrel's territory off the face of the earth with one strike. Slade hadn't, though. Instead they had been playing this little game of cat and mouse, but now he had walked straight in between the cat's paws… and maybe Slade would be too tempted not to strike this time?

No matter. He had made his choice, and sending someone else in his place was, as the man had suspected, out of the question. Robin sat up straighter and snatched a pen up from Slade's desk before starting to draw on the map the man had just placed there.

"If I knew you were going to scribble on it I would have lent you a copy." Slade told him dryly as he sat down behind his desk again.

"Don't be so stingy, Slade." Robin chuckled. "I'm sure you can afford another one. Besides, we're making history here."

"Is that what we're making?" the man snorted amusedly. "I thought it was inane conversation."

"Well, to be fair, that's what _you _are doing." the teen laughed and then shoved the map across the desk to Slade. "Here, I marked out the Mongrel's current territory, do you agree that that's correct?"

Slade took a look at the map, studying it carefully.

"Yes. If I may ask, though… are they really calling themselves Mongrels?"

"Yes, _we_ are." Robin stated decisively. "It started long before I ever joined; they took a derisive name and turned it into an identity, because you know what? Mongrels are stronger and more versatile than purebreds." Robin smirked.

"Oh, you really got me there." Slade grinned. "So, well, we have established what you call 'your' area. What about it?"

"We want to expand." Robin told him.

"No."

The teen rose to his feet in a collected manner and started to walk around the office, studying the amazing view. The areas closest to the building were not building-sites any more, but more or less completed buildings.

"I'd like to ask you to listen to me before you say no." Robin said. "We are not asking for something for nothing. We are a people outside of society. We don't want to be ruled by you, but we don't want to be outsiders either. As it is we are forced to steal what we can't make, and that's a lot, I'm afraid. We are not proud of this, it doesn't give us a sense of accomplishment. We don't want to be thieves. We don't want to be feared and loathed… if we can't get respected, we at least would like to be left alone." Robin turned around to calmly meet Slade's eye, to see if he was listening.

"You are escaped slaves and unregistered citizens. That makes you criminals in this world." the man answered, crossing his arms.

"By your laws. Change them."

"You must be prepared to offer quite a lot, my little bird…" The corner of Slade's mouth rose a little.

"Oh, yes." Robin smirked back. "Quite a lot… But of course, we _ask _quite a lot too, although I doubt you will think it much…" the teen came back to the desk and stood by Slade's chair, leaning over the map, drawing more lines. "Are you familiar with the Freetown Christiania in the Danish capital of Copenhagen?" Robin asked. "Well… in what _used_ to be Denmark, anyway."

"It was a self-proclaimed independent community within the city… it even had its own flag and were governed by slightly different laws." Slade said.

"That's right. We're like that... but without the drugs." Robin added as an afterthought.

"Glad to hear it." Slade muttered. The man was slightly distracted by having Robin's hip and thigh touching the side of his chair, and sometimes his shoulder and arm.

"We would like to be more open, though, and as a start, we would like to expand like this…" Robin said and showed the new marks he had made on the map.

"This is currently a no-man's land, too dangerous for us to stay in, and too close to us for you to build in. The area to the other side is a rather large part of Central Park that has long since been overgrown and unused. Both areas are of little value to you, but could mean a lot to us."

"The board will love a suggestion about letting runaways legally not only occupy an area of New York, but also expand it." Slade snorted.

"A _suggestion_? From _you_? Do you even know how to make one?" Robin looked down on the man, with mocking, wide eyes.

"You thought you were cute now, didn't you?"

"I _know _I was." Robin tossed his hair, the formerly short locks now a lot longer, but still soft and still slightly curly at the ends. It now almost brushed his shoulders, but was cut a bit unevenly, maybe with a knife. It was a haircut made of necessity, not vanity, but Slade thought it suited the teen; it brought out his wild side.

"Well… you might be right." the man smirked. "So… how are you going to get me to agree to this insanity?"

"Through my great gift of persuasion… and by granting you rewards I don't think you can resist…" Robin purred.

"Stop trying to speak to my libido and make me an offer." the man's smirk got wider.

"I just wanted to address the biggest part of you… it's that that makes all the decisions anyway…" Robin almost pouted. A flat look from Slade, made the teen lower his head a little in a silent apology. "Very well… my offer… We are a community of about a little over two hundred and thirty individuals-"

"Don't bother trying to negotiate with me if you are going to lie." Slade cut the teen off abruptly in a cold voice.

"W-what?" Robin almost lost his composure, his heart skipping a few beats. He took a step away and his robe snatched a bit on the armrests of Slade's chair. It was by accident and his own fault, but it elevated his feelings of alarm, of danger, of being caught. He had to take a few quiet breaths to get back to a normal pulse.

"Would you care to tell me _again_ how many of you there are?" Slade said, fingers tapping on the map where Robin had drawn.

"Okay… I don't know… about a hundred more perhaps?"

"One hundred and sixty three more. Give or take." Slade said.

"Four. Amanda just had a baby a few days ago." Robin said with a little smile.

"Not yours, I hope?" Slade asked.

"Of course not. No icky women-things, remember?" Robin snorted. He walked around the desk again, and now his foot almost got caught in the robe. He growled and pulled the thing over his head.

"Oh, are we at the stripping-part? Lovely, I thought that would take a while." Slade chuckled behind his back.

Robin, wearing his black outfit underneath, only snorted.

"Some day those delusions of yours will make you think you can fly, and you will drop from this building like a rock." he muttered.

"Maybe. How_ was_ that, by the way?" Slade asked in innocent curiosity.

"I didn't drop. I flew." Robin grinned and resumed his seat, and his pursuit of the snack. He felt Slade's eye on him He knew he looked good, of course, though the longevity-drug Slade had given him had stopped any aging, and therefore maturing, of his features, his body was in excellent condition. Maybe a bit leaner than he wanted it to be, but you didn't get fat, living as a Mongrel, and Robin always made sure the kids got what they needed first.

Slade made a sound like he was clearing his throat, probably coming back from thoughts of a very dirty and carnal nature, Robin thought, and to his own embarrassment felt his own groin stirring a bit in interest. As the man started speaking, however, Robin tried to suppress it.

"Well, getting back to the subject at hand. You were telling me how many of you there were, and I suspect you had a reason to do so?" the man said.

"Yes." Robin straightened again. "We offer you, first and foremost, peace. No more stealing, no more raids. Your deliveries will no longer be interrupted. We also will agree to a moderate amount of surveillance, and offer you workers. Twenty percent of the able adults, twenty hours a week and, on top of that, we have several younger people who would like to enter into apprenticeships in different areas. Yes, I knew you would love that term. They want to learn how to build, sew, farm, the basics of medicine… it's up to you what you can offer really. None of the Mongrels will work in the sex industry, however."

"And in exchange you only want the land?" Slade said.

"No… not just. We of course demand that no patrolling will take place, but that is pretty obvious, since we will be occupying the land legally… in return it will be safe for citizens to enter the area, in fact, we want them to. There are lots of things that we can do, but we lack many basics, which we have had to steal so far… from now on, we would like to trade instead. We have some amazing artists among us, as well as cooks and bakers. These people can create miracles out of nothing. We will share those for groceries, tools, fabric… anything and everything, really…" Robin said and then waited for any kind of reaction from Slade.

"Before we go any further…" the man said, "I caught something before that puzzled me… farming?"

"Yes, we plan to farm quite a large area of Central Park. Oh, and we want full and exclusive hunting-rights in the area, by the way… forgot to mention that." Robin told him.

"Hunting what? Squirrels?"

"You have no idea how good squirrel tastes when you're really hungry. And rat." Robin said coldly. "But as the war began, people set a lot of pets loose as they had to flee or couldn't provide for them. There's a large amount of rabbits, for one, even a small but stable herd of horses, although we will use them mainly for farm-work, if we can get someone to show us how to tame and train them."

"That's… ambitious." Slade quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know, big plans, but one step at the time. We need to be as self-sufficient as we can get, though…" Robin shrugged. "We need other things too, however, that we can't make; medical supplies, and, preferably a doctor… next time Rose screws up, why don't you send her over?" he added with a somewhat mean smirk.

"Marvelous idea." Slade admitted with a chuckle.

"Speaking about Rose, but really not, we also need birth-control drugs." Robin said, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"And why is that? Too much 'free love' around for your taste?" the man grinned.

"I doubt the 'free love' as you call it, would stop, but the results of it would." Robin said firmly. "We are a rather small community, and we have very few resources… we can't afford for our numbers to grow too much too quickly."

"Well, I do agree with _that_, of course." Slade nodded. "If nothing else, the birth-control drugs are yours. I'll supply you with disposable syringes with different time-intervals for the effectiveness of the drug from three months to two years."

"Perfect, thank you." Robin said with a smile which lit up his eyes. Of course, he knew that Slade knew that this was beneficial to him as well, and might not have agreed otherwise, but to Robin it still was a small, and welcomed, victory.

* * *

Slade mentally sighed as he saw that smile. That was something he had missed as well, because a real, warm one like that, had, of course, been rare. He wanted to see it again and had to pull in his own reins because if he fell for it, he would grant the boy a whole lot more than he had planned. It was time to make some demands on his own.

* * *

"About your growing numbers, I have a condition which must be fulfilled for these discussions to even continue." the man said. "I want an extradition treaty."

"No." Robin stood up. "Most of us are runaways, we can't turn them over to you!"

"The treaty will take effect from the time the drugs are delivered and what other suggestions I might agree with, begins." Slade said with a hint of steel in his voice. "It will state that you will be forced to turn over criminals, or all your privileges will be revoked."

"They are not criminals to _us_." Robin growled. "Seeking freedom is not a crime. If there was a case of an _actual_ criminal trying to seek shelter with us, and you have proof, then we'll talk."

"Think about it, Robin. If I grant you the land, the news of this haven, if you really want to call it that, will spread like wildfire. People always think the grass is greener on the other side, and there might be a mass escape to reach you… you were talking about having trouble feeding everyone, how do you think three or four hundred additional adults would affect your resources?"

* * *

Robin frowned.

_Fuck it… he makes sense._

He got up from the chair and started pacing. When he stopped, his shoulders sagged slightly.

"As you say the Mongrel community will suddenly become a reality instead of something of a myth… you agree it will be a big temptation for those who have the possibility to run, right?" Robin asked.

"Yes, undoubtedly." Slade agreed.

"Well, then we have to take precautions." Robin sighed, sinking down into the soft chair again. "First we will have to make it clear, on all fronts, that runaways will not be accepted, and secondly I don't want those who still try, to be punished beyond reason. No shooting people to prove a point."

"I might be able to agree to that… but you have to appear with me during the informational campaign, or the credibility will be very low."

"Sure, I'll check my calendar." Robin grinned and raised his glass of water to the man before emptying it. "This is something I have to discuss with the others though… they won't be happy."

"You'll make them see it our way." Slade almost purred. By the way… how is it?"

"How is what?" Robin asked, too distracted by the question to chew Slade out about the 'our way' remark.

"Being a leader." Slade smiled. "Do you like it?"

"I'm not a leader, we have a council." Robin snorted.

"And who leads that council?" Slade asked sweetly.

"That's just a formality! We make all major decisions together!" the teen snarled.

"And yet you are soon to present a suggestion to them that the majority won't like, and you will make it come true…" Slade was visibly enjoying himself.

"It's the right decision. For now." Robin muttered.

"Yes. And a major one. And _yours_. And I'm rather sure that this won't be the first time that happens by a long-shot." Slade chuckled.

"I'm only doing what's best for the community." the teen tried.

"Of course. Every good leader does, even if it means making difficult decisions and ignoring the needs of individuals… It's the big picture that matters."

Robin glared at the man across from him. He wanted to yell that he always thought about individuals, but the truth was that he didn't. It was impossible, in such a large group, to make sure everyone was happy about everything. He really hated it when Slade was right, though.

"At least I still consider them human beings." he muttered.

"Yes… you still have much to learn." Slade smirked.

"Ha-ha." Robin snorted. "Let's talk about things that would make me happy instead, alright? The land. Do you agree to our demands there?"

"I think I can grant you the areas of the park and the hunting-rights." Slade said, studying the map again. "As you say, it's mostly unkempt and unused areas anyway. The no-mans land, however, I'm not happy about letting you closer to the areas on the other side. I can agree to have that area be neutral, however, and therefore safe, but I don't want any buildings on it."

"We planned to use it as an open market-place." Robin told him. "If we can do that, we won't mind if it's neutral land, in fact, that might work out better."

"Then it's settled." Slade decided.

"Well, not quite. If it's neutral, it's only fair if you help us clear it. As it is, it's full of rubble and dangerous ruins about to collapse. We need knowledgeable demolition crews to help out… and we want the right to any salvageable material like bricks and pipes."

"You are very good at making demands. my little bird…" Slade smirked. "I will assign you a few team leaders and some crew, but you will be supplying the main work force. And, as long as we are on the subject, you were offering twenty percent of the able adults, twenty hours a week. I want seventy percent for a full forty hours a week."

"No can do, not when we have so much to rebuild ourselves, as well as trade-items to make." Robin shook his head. "So many working full time would make our progress slower, and I think you don't want it to be, or things might start to disappear again." Robin added the last with a smirk.

"Make no mistake, my dear boy… if I agree to 'free' you, or what you might want to call it, any breaking of the laws outside of your area will be severely punished, and I'll send in patrols to make sure the perpetrators are caught or killed… the extradition treaty will include those people too." Slade met Robin's dark look calmly. "That term is unconditional, I'm afraid."

"Fine." Robin growled. "I already promised no more raids, didn't I? But about the percentige… fourty-thirty."

"Sixty-thirty." Slade countered.

"Fifty-thirty." Robin said.

"I'll agree to that if you agree to a renegotiation in two years." Slade said. "You should be more settled then, and should be able to offer more people for more hours."

"Fine. We'll talk about it then." Robin agreed.

"Done."

Robin nodded with a small smile and leaned back slightly in his chair. He wanted to rub his neck and shoulders, he was so tense.

"I think we both need a break." Slade told him. "How about lunch?"

"Sounds lovely. I just need to wash up." Robin said.

"You can use the bathroom in the apartment." Slade told him, and Robin stood with a nod.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." The teen walked out the door and noticed William looking up sharply.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom." Robin explained with a smile.

"Would you hang on a moment?" the blond said in a pleasant way, but it was clear by his tone that he expects to be obeyed.

_Hmmm… this is new…_ Robin chuckled to himself as he stopped and waited while William spoke into his earpiece.

"Sir, does Robin have clearance to go into the apartment? Yes, Sir." the assistant gave the teen in front of his desk a nod and a small smile. "It's okay, go ahead."

"You were double checking?" Robin grinned. "Good for you!"

"Well, I _do_ try to learn from my mistakes…" the man muttered.

"Hey, Will, I didn't completely ruin your trust in humanity, did I?" Robin asked a bit worriedly.

"No, no, just in pretty ex-super heroes with huge blue eyes…" the man grinned back.

"Glad to hear it, you can never trust one of _those_…" Robin snickered. "Well, nature's calling. See you."

* * *

The apartment looked more or less exactly the same. Robin tried not to look at the bed, because he was afraid of his own reaction… mostly because he expected it to be at least some degree of arousal. He snorted and shook his head. He had wanted to walk into that office and feel _nothing_ for Slade, nothing at all, and still, as soon as their eyes met, it all came rushing back… the anger at the betrayals and manipulations had long since blurred and weakened, not because they still mattered, but because they had been replaced by the more current and pressing need to fight for survival. That fact, however, made way for the happier memories to slither to the front of his mind… happy, and mostly dirty, memories. The first thing he had thought seeing Slade wasn't 'there's that bastard', it had been' oh, god, he's even hotter than I remember.' and Robin _hated_ himself for that.

There was a connection between them however, and Robin didn't think it was just ghosts of the game of pretend he had played. He had even considered Stockholm syndrome, but it didn't quite fit… maybe some of it was, but he had made a _decision_ to comply with Slade, and not because he liked the man or sympathized with him, but because of selfish reasons: to help himself escape... the thing that nagged him was that living with Slade was, at times, rather easy… he would have felt better if he could look back on that time and remember it only being trying and horrible, but instead he sometimes found himself smiling or chuckling, and that was just… sick.

Robin muttered again and finished up relieving himself. He then walked over to the sink to wash his hands and do what he really came here to do. He opened a cabinet and found a razor. After rummaging around a bit he found a new blade and made a small cut on the top of his hand. He wiped off the single drop of blood and smirked.

The longevity drug had probably been in the water, he figured. He had tested himself about once a month since his escape, and lately it had taken a full day for a small wound to completely disappear. That was still much faster than normal, of course, but now it had happened in seconds.

Robin knew Slade would make sure he got the drug, one way or another, but he had never imagined himself wanting it. After this year, however, he saw the benefits for it. He could go on longer, with less, than any other, and he didn't need to worry too much about getting hurt. He still wanted to grow up, but he could put that aside for now, as these abilities were better for the community.

Slade could go screw a wall-socket, Robin _knew _he was being a good leader. Sure he had to put his foot down now and then, but nobody feared him and he seemed to be well liked and respected… he would like to see Slade manage that, thank you very much.

* * *

He returned the blade, washed his hands again and left the bathroom. Immediately his nose was assaulted by the most amazing smell, and he saw that the dining table was laid out for lunch.

"I had steaks ordered." Slade told him. "Normally a bit heavy for lunch perhaps, but I thought you might appreciate it."

"I'm sure I will." Robin grinned hungrily. "Please tell me there is some form of potatoes too?"

"Roasted potato wedges, but I can order up anything you want." Slade smirked.

"Stop trying to lure me to the dark side with potatoes!" Robin chuckled.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it… incidentally we also have the chocolate and strawberry mousse you love."

"The Mongrels who?" Robin said quickly and sat down on a chair.

Slade chuckled and shook his head as he served the boy. He _wished_ it could have been this easy…

* * *

They ate in silence for a while before Slade looked up at the young man across from him.

"May I ask something?"

"Is there a way for me to stop you?" Robin blinked. "Yeah, sure." he added when the man gave him a look.

"The man we found about six or seven months ago, hogtied outside a factory, that was one of yours, right?"

"Yes."

"May I ask why he ended up like that?"

"He didn't tell you?" Robin smirked a bit smugly.

"No, in fact he seemed terrified and wouldn't say a word of where he came from or what had happened… it was clear he was a mongrel, though, and he was on the wanted-list, so that's how I found out about it."

"Amazing. One thing he actually listened to." Robin murmured to himself.

"And the reason…?" Slade asked.

Robin glanced up at the man, and sighed.

"Let's just say that he couldn't keep his hands to himself, and didn't know how to take no for an answer." Robin muttered.

"Ah… I see." Slade mulled this over for a moment. "And have you given that answer to many?"

"To everyone who has asked." Robin shrugged.

"Is that so?"

"Well… no one compares to you, Slade." Robin said softly, looking the man straight in the eye.

"Right…" the man chuckled.

Robin grinned. It was so funny that Slade thought he had been joking... because he had never been more honest in his life.

"I'll keep snipers on standby just in case." the man added.

"You do that." Robin nodded. "And what about you? Have you slapped any hands away lately… or tied them to the headboard?" Robin asked, slightly worried about the answer.

"Been a bit too busy keeping an eye on you." Slade smirked.

"Awww… you work too hard. But it makes me feel _so _special." Robin grinned. "Oh, by the way, can you just ask me next time you decide I need a new dose? The carbon dioxide didn't really mask the flavor that well."

Slade inclined his head slightly with a small smirk.

"Noted. I'll tell the lab."

"No, tell _me_. That was the whole point, not making the lab work harder to trick me." Robin rolled his eyes.

"I'll just have to try to remember to do both." Slade said. "Ready for dessert?"

"Hell yes." Robin smiled.

* * *

"If I didn't think you would turn pervy on me, I would have asked to lie down a bit…" Robin yawned as they stood up from the table some time later. "Why do I always seem to OD on steak-dinners?"

"It was all in my plan to get you half comatose for the rest of the negotiations." Slade grinned and held the door to the apartment open for him.

"Bastard." Robin chuckled. "I actually believe you… you are so afraid of my negotiations skills."

"Yes, they are fearsome." Slade deadpanned. "I'm trembling."

They were walking through the lobby when the attack came.

"Robin!"

"Rebecca… I… Becky, please, I've just eaten!" Robin gasped as he was being hugged with a vengeance.

"Oh, sorry… it's so good to see you again… you don't call often enough!"

"Call?" Slade asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Damn… Rebecca, honey, it was a secret, remember?" Robin groaned. He had been using his cell phone now and then, and the battery was quite amazing. It only now started to run out, and, sure, Robin had kept the phone turned off and hidden at different locations when he wasn't using it, but still… something else to like about the future…

"Yes, but that doesn't matter, does it? You're back now!" the 'fifty plus' woman burbled.

"Only for today." Robin objected. "And I'd love to have a chat, but we are negotiating…"

"Oh, is _that _what the kids call it nowadays?" the woman laughed, completely ignoring the fact that Slade was old enough to be her grandfather.

Robin felt his face blush and heard Slade chuckle.

"Robin and I really must be going." the man then said, coming to the rescue. "If there's time later-"

"Oh, pish-posh! We'll get together now, and then you'll have dinner with us tonight, you can continue tomorrow! In fact, you have to stay for the whole holiday, of course. It's only for four days."

"But I have to-" Robin started.

"I'm sure whatever it is can wait, I mean what can possibly be needed to be done out there? And look at you, all skin and bones! You have had lunch, you said? How about some cookies?"

"Slade, help!" the teen complained, looking back at the man.

"You are welcome to stay, of course." Slade looked rather smug about the whole thing.

"There! See?" Rebecca said. "You can't leave… and this will give you plenty of time to 'negotiate' things too." she added in what she probably thought was a whisper.

Robin hung his head. He could fight Slade, even outsmart him on occasion, but he was powerless against Rebecca.

"Fine. I'd love to stay… but on some conditions… If Slade will grant them, that is?" the teen said and turned to the man.

"Of course he will, he'd love to have you here as well!" the woman immediately decided, and Robin smirked, as it was Slade's turn to look a little worried. Rebecca was an awesome weapon, yes, but a weapon could always be used on both sides.

"I hope so." Robin said with a fake sigh. "Slade I need one of your men to send a message to my people. He or she is to dress in all white. Also all hostile forces are to fall back for the duration of my stay, no matter how the negotiations are unfolding. Messengers, who will be wearing white, will be guaranteed safety and be allowed to deliver their messages to me personally."

"Is that all?"

"No, as a show of good will, I'll need food baskets prepared… you know… for Liberation-day. About three hundred of them would be enough… and maybe some other gifts like blankets, toys, books… I'm sure you can think of something…" Robin smiled pleasantly.

"We'd all love to help, of course!" Rebecca said and hugged Robin again. "I'll call some people I know right now, and you can come with me and write your message."

"Thanks. If all this is all right with Slade, of course?" Robin gave the man a rather triumphant look.

Slade sighed and threw out his arms.

"What choice do I have?" he said.

"None whatsoever… now how does that make you feel?" Robin snickered. "Alright, Rebecca, I'm coming…"

* * *

As the elevator doors closed on the teen and the woman, William nervously cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Sir, but you _did_ ask me to make sure mother would stop by after lunch."

"I did, and don't worry…" Slade grinned "It went exactly according to plan… well… apart from the blankets… but all in all… the games have begun…"

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: well, as I said at the top, it's pretty much an introduction. The drabbles will, I hope, follow this time-line with a few flashbacks and stuff perhaps… and I will write Will and Duncan's first time together, as I have promised before and look forwards to… For now, though, I'm going back to the Christmas-drabbles… I hope to have them all done before December starts, and I am on December 18'Th right now so it's looking good… ;)


	2. Watching You, Watching Me

**A/N: **Hi again! I just thought I'd add a little drabble here just to celebrate that the Christmas drabbles are now all written! Yaaay! Not a minute too soon, since they start on Wednesday… I will probably post the first one on Wednesday evening, but don't worry, there are no competitions or anything this year, so you can read them all in your own time… no need to stay up late or set the alarm! ;) About this collection, **please read the last A/N!**

**2061**

**Watching You, Watching Me**

Slade looked at Robin from across the room. He hadn't seen him for the whole afternoon, as Rebecca and the teen had been busy planning his short stay, as well as the gift-baskets for the Mongrels. Robin's message had been sent since then, and the messenger had returned unharmed with a short note which had been delivered directly into the teen's hands.

Now the young man was standing with Rebecca, Rose and Duncan, laughing and talking, waiting for dinner to be ready. Robin had grown so much in the past year, Slade thought to himself. Not physically, of course, but the little bird was a leader now. He had gained a whole new confidence, and was stronger, fiercer, like a wild animal, and yet… with that wildness came a sense of watchfulness, he was guarded, like he knew that he was a hunter that could turn into a prey in a second. He hid it very well, but no matter how relaxed he looked, sudden movements and even unexpected touches woke a sharpness in his eyes and a tenseness in his shoulders that wasn't there before.

The blue eyes met his, and widened at being watched. Slade smirked and raised his glass, getting a little smirk and a nod in reply. Robin's body had immediately changed when he had seen Slade looking, the man noticed. The back had straightened, the shoulders pushed back… a fighting-stance, almost, a 'don't try to mess with me'… a warning. And still, he was adopting a pose that he must have known was attractive… Slade's smirk widened. He liked his new wild bird… he wondered how much time and effort it would take to tame him?

* * *

Robin was having a bit of an overwhelming time, assaulted on all sides with questions. After making sure his message was sent, Rebecca had arranged some new clothes for him, claiming his outfit needed a good wash, which, Robin had to admit, it did. He had also taken a long, long shower, and was currently dressed simply in a white short-sleeved shirt and black slacks, clothes he was certain had come directly from his old closet.

Now he had finally met Duncan without having to act as Slade's pet, and it had gone surprisingly well. William had told his boyfriend everything he knew of Robin, including the bed-time stories Slade had told him when the assistant had been a child. Robin was sure some of them were exaggerated… even though Jump had been pretty strange at times…

When Mary joined them Robin had expressed his condolences. Liam had come down with a cough before the teen had escaped, and never quite recovered. He had passed away peacefully in his sleep this winter.

Mary had thanked him for the flowers he had sent to the funeral, not an easy task for him, but one Robin had wanted to do. She was still a spry old lady and seemed to have taken her husband's death as well as could be expected. She soon drifted off to speak with her son Randolph and grandson William, leaving Robin in the claws of the terrible three once more.

Actually Rose wasn't so bad. Michael had been back from Taiwan for about six months and his work there had strengthened both his position and their bond, in fact, they were engaged.

"Horribly big stone that…" Robin grinned. "Don't you need some sort of arm-sling to carry that around?"

"Oh, this little thing?" Rose grinned and almost blinded him with it. "You are just jealous."

For some reason that comment made Robin lift his eyes to look for Slade. He met the man's single eye immediately, like he had known where the man was without looking… which was a nice talent, he supposed, but it still freaked him out. The way the man looked at him was so… predatory. Then the man smirked and made a toast to him. Robin snorted softly, wishing he had a glass of his own. He wouldn't pretend not to have seen the little greeting, or was it a challenge? He nodded back stiffly and only then returned to his conversation with the others.

* * *

"So, Duncan, how about you and Will? Did you shock poor Rebecca when he brought you home for the first time?" he asked.

"Oh, a mother knows…" Rebecca smiled. "William never seemed to be able to really connect with the girls he was dating… it looked like he was just doing it because it was expected of him… poor thing."

"The Wintergreens are a lovely family! I'm so glad to be a part of them… well… soon." Duncan beamed, making something deep inside Robin hurt a little bit, and raised his own hand, where a beautiful ring of hammered gold glittered. No rock though. Maybe not even Duncan was _that _gay.

"Damn, you all move fast… double wedding perhaps?"

"Yes, this summer!" Duncan exclaimed to Robin's surprise.

"What? Really?" the teen glanced at Rose. If the woman was even considering sharing her big day with her gay twin and his partner, she had changed quite a bit from her spoilt old self. Rose, however, only smiled and nodded.

"Duncan and I have actually been friends for years… we often work together professionally as well, so why not?"

"Well… I… congratulations! I hope I'm invited? I promise not to bring any rebel forces…" he added with a grin.

"Of course you are!" they all exclaimed and Robin laughed. He really loved this family… they kept surprising him.

"William and I are thinking of getting pregnant." Duncan said, once more proving that point.

"Err… Rebecca? Did you ever have the birds and the bees-talk with your son?" Robin asked carefully. "I mean, I get it if _Duncan_ missed it, but…"

"Oh, we think it's possible!" the brown-haired man said. "Uterus-transplantations were about to become reality back in your time, and for the last decade or so medical science has taken _leaps_ forwards. We'd still need an egg-donor, of course, but-"

"Yeah, but where the hell would you even _attach_ a uterus?" Robin asked. "Why not adopt? Or use a surrogate mother as well as a donated egg? I mean…" Robin made a vague gesture, unable to finish his sentence.

"I… oh, I thought you would be happy… I mean, this is an opportunity for all gay men… If you and Slade ever-" Duncan looked a bit crestfallen, which, with his face, was heart wrenching.

"If Slade ever suggested anything like that, I would kill him dead." Robin growled. "Painfully. Let's make things straight; Slade and I are not, I repeat; _not _a couple, okay? Never was, never will be. If you manage to get yourself pregnant; congratulations. Good for you. But don't spread the idea around. Excuse me; I think I'll need to get something to drink."

* * *

"What are you four talking about?" Slade, who had seen Robin reacting to something and gotten curious, asked. The teen spun around to face him.

"You are _not_ knocking me up, Slade!" he snarled and stalked away.

The man looked at the rest of the group levelly.

"Anyone care to explain that?"

* * *

Robin knew the man would catch up to him sooner or later, and Slade did.

"I have no intention of impregnating you. I'm immortal, I don't want any children."

"Glad to hear that." the teen muttered, a bit embarrassedly, as he studied the small table of refreshments, trying to decide what didn't contain alcohol.

"I wouldn't mind pretending, however... I know you are good at role-playing..." the man purred.

Robin snorted and hesitantly reached out for a pitcher.

"You'd want this." Slade told him and grabbed another one, pouring him a glass of something which looked like lemonade, but which might have been strong enough to clean wounds.

"Thank you." Robin said and took the glass. He actually did trust Slade not to get him drunk, but he wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. Something in the back of his mind screamed that he was an idiot, but the teen sipped the beverage anyway. It seemed okay.

"Don't get your hopes up... I'm not here to sleep with you." Robin said bluntly. "This is strictly business."

"And if that is one of my demands?" the man asked quietly.

Robin looked up to meet that grey-blue eye.

"You wouldn't make a demand like that." the teen said decisively.

"But if I did? If every wish you have made so far would be granted, and the only thing standing in the way of that was your body... would it be mine?"

"Yes." Robin inclined his head. "Of course it would... but _only_ my body... I would never be able to consider you a real man again."

"I'm flattered that you apparently do so _now_." the man leered.

"Damn twister of words..." the teen muttered and rolled his eyes.

"One takes what one can get." Slade shrugged.

"You've gotten better, you used to insist on more." Robin chuckled. "How about the other way around... if I offered myself to you in exchange for everything I want for the Mongrels?"

"Hmmm... depends on what that offer would include..." the man smirked.

"I'd stay here, with you, at least half the time... wake you up with a nice blow-job every morning, and you know I don't very much like those... and from then on... anything you wanted..." Robin's voice had turn husky and his eyes were half lidded. "Would you give me land, even change laws, for a chance to touch me again?"

"I'm not sure if that is _my _fantasy or _yours_..." the man chuckled softly.

"Dinner is ready, everyone!" Rebecca called from the door to the dining room.

"Lovely, let's go." Slade said and escorted Robin towards the room, guiding him with a hand held lightly on his lower back. Very low.

* * *

Dinner was another overwhelming affair of tastes and luxury for Robin. Even though he was still full from lunch, he couldn't help but finish the generous helpings Rebecca made sure landed on his plate. Soon the amount of food and the events of the day started to take its toll and he could feel his eyelids dropping.

"I'm sorry Rebecca, but I think I have to kidnap our guest for the night... he's falling asleep in the Crème brûlée." Robin heard Slade say, and opened his eyes to find that the man was right.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't realize that you were so tired." Rebecca told him as the teen got to his feet.

"Me either..." Robin grinned sheepishly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Robin followed Slade out of the apartment and into the elevator. When the man pressed the button for his own floor, Robin tensed.

"Where exactly am I sleeping, Slade?" he asked with a low growl.

"Judging by your tone of voice I would suspect it won't be in_ my_ bed." the man smirked.

"No." Robin told him and crossed his arms.

"Pity. You can change your mind any time, though." the man shrugged. "But don't worry, I have had private rooms prepared for you."

"On your floor? But there's nothing apart from-"

"You'll see." the man chuckled. "Curious little bird…"

* * *

When the elevator stopped Slade showed him to the opposite side of the reception from where the corridor to the man's own apartment was.

"Isn't this William's place?" Robin asked.

"It was. He and Duncan moved a couple of floors down when they got together. Now-" the man said and opened the door, "it's all yours. Whenever you need it."

The place had a similar layout as Slade's, but somewhat smaller. The kitchen was bigger, however, perhaps William had actually _used_ his.

"You can change the furniture and décor as you wish, just let me know. William brought all his things with him, of course, so this is all new." Slade told him.

Robin looked around. The whole place was done mostly in white with strong accent colors like azure and purple in things like pillows and abstract paintings. He started to wonder if it had been finished for long, and why… He couldn't see Slade sharing a floor with just anyone… was it intended for important guests… or for _him_? If Slade had expected him to return…

Robin could feel himself tensing and forced his body to relax.

"It's fine." he shrugged.

"I'm glad. There's clothes in the closet, food in the fridge, but if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."

"Great, thanks." Robin nodded, trying not to just bolt for the door.

"You look tense and tired." Slade told him and came up behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders, massaging them. "Shall I arrange for a massage? Or should I help you with anything? Draw a bath? Undress?"

"Good night, Slade." Robin chuckled and pulled away from the hands which were performing small miracles on his body. If he let the man continue to touch him, however, he wouldn't be able to say no. Strangely those touches had helped him relax, and not the other way around.

"Very well, good night. I expect to see you for breakfast tomorrow at seven. William will wake you up." the man said and, with a last unreadable look at him, left.

* * *

The first thing Robin did was lock the door. The second was checking out the bathroom, where he found the promised bath, as well as a separate shower. This bathroom didn't have the spectacular view Slade's had, since it was all inner walls, but it had very nice light features and was completely tiled in mosaics in interesting, lively patterns of greens and blues.

As he wasn't feeling quite so tired anymore, Robin had a long, uninterrupted, soak in the tub, before dressing in a pair of pajama-pants already laid out for him and then crawling in between the cool, clean sheets. He drew a deep sigh of pure pleasure. A bed. Not a pile of blankets, or, at best, a thin mattress, but a _real_ bed.

The mongrels, and especially he himself, moved around quite a bit, afraid to settle down in one place as that would make them easier targets. The close to four hundred people, were divided into smaller units which each had a leader, to make things easier. There were many kinds of constellations inside and outside of these groups, hunters, for example, often met from all the groups, as did builders and Robin's teams of 'gatherers'. It was a complex system, but it worked. Robin would do everything he could to make sure it stayed that way.

* * *

He fell asleep in the middle of a thought. At some point in the night he felt like he was waking up, sensing someone standing next to his bed and a hand touching his forehead lightly, but, the teen decided as he rolled over and fell back to sleep again, it was probably a dream. After all, he had locked the door.

* * *

Slade chuckled and shook his head at himself. He had just wanted to make sure Robin hadn't fallen asleep in the bath he was sure the teen would take. He hadn't been able to resist sweeping a strand of stray hair, obviously tickling the teen's nose, out of the way, and Robin's eyes had opened just a crack, before he had sighed and turned over. The man hoped Robin wouldn't remember this the next day. If he did, Slade would deny it. It was foolish to enter the room when Robin had thought a simple lock would keep him out and the teen himself safe… the man didn't want to prove his bird wrong… at least not quite yet.

_End/__To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: Important about the **M-preg**: This will NOT be an M-preg story, at least not the way I see it at the moment, and, in either way, it will not be a ROBIN-M-preg, and it will not focus on it in any way (IF Will and Duncan have a child down the line, it will mostly happen 'off screen'). I only mentioned it at all because in 2060 it's said that it's expected of William to marry and have children, and I think Duncan is someone who would take that to heart, poor thing…

About the rest of the story:

Well, I plan for Robin to stay until Slade-ma-, oh, sorry, _Liberation Day_, and I know what kinds of presents he has brought, but that's pretty much it… I have NO plans for these drabbles… so what would you like to see happening? I'll take any suggestions under consideration… I'm not particularly looking for Robin to end up as Slade's prisoner again, however, because that would be like 2060 all over again, but, sure, things can go to hell in other ways… Your suggestions needn't be a whole plot, it can be specific scenes. Would you like to see Randolph choke on a shrimp? Fine. William and Duncan playing footsie at the table? Slade and Robin fu- oh, well… I'm sure you can think of some things that might fit within this universe….

Anyway, see you at the first Christmas drabble on Wednesday!

/W


	3. Board Games

A/N: thank you for all the lovely suggestion I've gotten about what might/should/could happen in this universe! Some of them are actually already incorporated in this chapter, or the seeds sown, at least…

And, yeah, I thought since I gave you a bunny-story this morning, I would try to make that up to you with this… but I still love the bunnies… -pouts stubbornly- If you wanna help me even MORE, read the last A/N… and the title of this installment is pure genius (even if I do say so myself) because it works on SO many levels… well… two. It works on two levels. Shut up. Read.

**

* * *

**

2061

**Board Games**

The sound, Robin decided after a while, was someone knocking on his door.

"Go away!" he grumbled, snuggling deeper under the covers as the door opened.

"Good morning. You have twenty minutes to shower and dress before you are expected at breakfast." William told him. "I'm going to lay out some clothes for you."

"I thought my last stay taught you not to open any doors unless you had permission?" Robin growled. "Hey, how did you come in here, anyway? The door was locked!"

"I control the locks on this floor from my station, you know that." William said. "And I didn't think walking in here would be hazardous for my health, since Slade's not here. He's _not_ here, is he?"

"No, I can control myself for one night." Robin muttered and then clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to say that out loud!

"Look who's repressed now…" William actually snickered. "Well, you were more than willing to help _me_, so I'll do the same for you, of course. Want me to cut your waffles into little hearts?"

"There's waffles?" Robin perked up a little.

"If you hurry. Slade likes them too."

* * *

Robin was ready in ten minutes flat and was showed into Slade's apartment by William. The inhabitant himself, however, was nowhere in sight, although Robin could hear the shower running. He sat down at the table and started filling his plate. How he could be hungry again after last night was a mystery to him, but he was.

A moment later Slade came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel and wearing another one wrapped around his hips.

"You're early." the man said.

"Yeah, sorry, but Will showed me in. Would you like me to turn around while you- oh. Nope, looks like you don't care." Robin found his mouth rambling on long after it should have shut up.

"You're not suddenly shy, are you?" Slade smirked at him as he stood, completely naked now, in front of his wardrobe, picking out his clothes. "We've seen each other naked before. Many, many times."

* * *

When Robin didn't answer immediately, Slade looked back at him and arched an eyebrow. He chuckled as the younger male seemed pretty far away.

"If you keep staring like that, I'm going to think about charging you." he purred, immensely pleased with Robin's reaction.

"Oh, I thought it was free." the dark-haired young man said and tore his eyes away, focusing on his waffles again.

"For _you_, any time." Slade chuckled and joined him, now wearing a pair of dark blue trousers.

"Whore." the teen smirked at him. As Slade sat down, Robin added, somewhat haughtily, "What, it's okay to come to the table bare-chested now?"

"Yes, try it." Slade smirked back. "It's also okay to come _on_ the table, if you'd rather try _that_. Besides, I better grab some of those waffles or you'll finish them all."

"I'm glad I'm negotiating with such a mature adult." Robin said dryly, although Slade noticed the faint blush on his cheeks and smiled pleasantly.

"Likewise. Now about today-"

"I hope we can start as soon as possible?" Robin cut him off.

"Eager, aren't you? Yes, we'll resume the negotiations directly after breakfast, but this afternoon I have a board meeting."

"An_ important_ one?" the teen looked displeased.

"Please, Robin, I put time aside for you yesterday, but I didn't anticipate that you would stay. I have already rearranged my schedule as much as I can." he told the teen sternly. He could, admittedly, reschedule _everything_, but Slade felt it was important to show the young man that he couldn't demand every moment of his time. Robin could easily get the impression that he was manipulating him, and Slade couldn't allow that… the boy was full of himself already.

"I see. Well, I'll stay with Rebecca then, perhaps? I mean, I suppose you won't let me run around here freely?" the teen seemed to accept the situation, although he looked a bit displeased.

"No… in fact I don't want to let you out of my sight more than necessarily, so you are going to come with me." the man decided on a whim.

"Wouldn't that be like letting a spy sit in on a war-council?" Robin looked confused. "And I'm not playing your pet again, so forget_ that_ little plan."

"I didn't intend you to." Slade lied smoothly. In fact he had hoped that Robin would be so curious about attending the board meeting that he'd agree to wear a collar again. Apparently that wouldn't be the case. "I did tell the board, however, that I intentionally sent you to the Mongrels with the goal to take control over them. I don't want them to question that story, so I won't accept any open hostility from you. In their eyes you are still mine, and they will find it strange if I don't punish you if you are out of line."

The teen across from him folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"That sounds suspiciously like a pet."

"Do you like the term under-cover spy better?" Slade smirked. "You behaving in front of my board_ is_ a condition for further negotiations, Robin. If you want what's best for the Mongrels, it will mean that we have to cooperate, and I don't accept being openly challenged, that would undermine my authority. I can kill off my board-members and their associates, of course, without having to explain myself, but I don't want to unbalance anything unnecessarily, do you understand? Trust me, what you want for your society, is the same I want for mine: peace and quiet."

* * *

Robin frowned, but then nodded. He understood Slade's point of view. The man might be immortal, but enough people could still overturn him, and, even though Robin told himself that he would love to see that, he knew that it would mean danger, and quite possibly the end of the Wintergreens as well. If you killed the king, you didn't let the royal family live.

"Fine. I want a seat at the table, though, and if you discuss the Mongrels, I'm going to speak my mind… with care."

"You'll sit on my right." The man looked too smug, the teen thought, but there was nothing he could do about it at this moment.

"Okay… well, we have already started, kind of, so should we continue?"

"Yes. Do you need the map or anything else from the office?" Slade asked.

"No, the borders we looked at yesterday are all I want when it comes to land." Robin shrugged.

"Oh, '_all_', was it?" the man chuckled. "Well, I don't see why we have to go to the office, then. I'd much rather take our discussions somewhere else…"

* * *

"Mmmm… I… Oh, god… I… I'm... worried… about… sanitary issues…" Robin groaned.

Slade grunted something before replying.

"See… told you it was all about sewers…" he smirked at the young man.

"Yeah… yes, right there! Damn, this feels good! I missed this _so_ much…" the teen panted before adding, "and stop being right all the time, bastard, it's annoying."

"I'm pretty sure this is the second best you can feel, while naked under a blanket…" the man agreed with a low chuckle. "Remember that they can't hear you, though."

"I… know…" Robin gasped as his massage-therapist started kneading her toes into his shoulders. "Never knew that it would feel this good to have a woman on top of me… I think I'm going to rethink my sexuality…" he grinned.

"Well, let me get on top of you and then you can compare." Slade suggested.

Robin opened his mouth to reply when something in his spine cracked, and all he could do was groan.

"Fuck, those sounds used to mean that something really _horrible_ had happened…" he mumbled. "This is a really bad place to negotiate, you know?" he added in Slade's direction.

The current world ruler smirked from the mat next to him.

"I'm hoping you will forget some of your demands like this." he said.

"Yeah… right…" Robin snorted, and then tried to remember what he was talking about before. "Sewers! Many of them are damaged, and the water and electricity we are… errrm… _borrowing _at the moment aren't enough." Robin paused a bit as the woman above him found a new knot of muscles to work on. "A-again; we are willing to do the work, but we need people to show us what to do and probably a lot of tools and machines too."

"That's a lot to ask." Slade grumbled.

"I know." Robin, surprisingly, admitted. "We're only asking to help getting us started… to repair a few buildings across the area so there's a few communal houses to bathe and do laundry. We need more bathrooms, however, and electricity in every habitable building."

"As I said, that's a lot to ask."

"I know what to tell the board." Robin said. "I know they will buy it."

"Buy _what_, exactly?"

"Like I said, I'll tell the board." The young man smirked cheekily, just as the massage came to an end.

"Fine. Let's hit the shower." Slade shrugged and stood up.

Robin, making sure the sheet was secured around his waist, didn't miss the key word.

"Yes, 'show_er_', as I remember there only was one. You or me first?"

"Both. Together." the man purred.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You'll just drop the soap and make me pick it up." Robin snorted. He wasn't worried about Slade raping him, actually, he just didn't want the man to have any more fun than he should have. And the amount of fun Slade deserved involved watching paint dry on a slowly growing potted plant in a white room with no windows. Robin had managed to change in private because Slade had gotten a very well timed phone call, so the man hadn't even gotten a peek.

"And if I promise I won't touch you… inappropriately?" Slade asked.

"You will have to do better than that." The teen smirked.

"Fine. I promise that if I do touch you inappropriately, I'll grant you one thing."

"Everything."

"Two."

"Fifty."

"Five."

"Ten."

"Deal." Slade said.

"Aaaand…" Robin added, holding a finger up, "_I _decide about what's inappropriate. Not you."

"Damn."

"Didn't think I'd catch that, did you?"

"No, I rather hoped you wouldn't." the man chuckled.

"Well, sad for you. Is it a deal, then?"

The man sighed but then nodded, making Robin grin. He had just realized that even though this deal would let Slade enjoy the sight of him, Robin himself could have even more fun on the man's expense…

* * *

As they entered the changing room, Robin let his sheet slip off him slowly, while pretending to look around. His eyes then locked with Slade's and the teen smiled a little naughty smile.

"Well… let's do it…" he sauntered into the shower and turned on the water, treating the man to a rather nice image as Slade entered a moment later; the teens head was bent back, his lips parted, as he was getting soaked by the hot, steaming water.

Robin took care to ignore the man at first, running his hands leisurely over his whole body, stretching and turning to make sure he got good and wet.

"Mmm… this feels wonderful, doesn't it?" Robin glanced over his shoulder at Slade, who just seemed to snap out of some thought or other.

"Well, stay here, and you can take as many showers as you can possibly wish…" the man suggested.

"Yeah… and you will probably be in _all_ of them. No thanks." Robin smirked and reached for the combined soap and shampoo. He rubbed his hands together, working up a lot of lather, before slowly starting to cover himself in the soap. He did his hair first, tilting his head backwards, before continuing with the rest of his body. He made sure to circle his nipples, making them respond until the small pink buds peeked out from the white bubbles covering his chest. With circling motions he moved down over his abs and then to his cock, which he managed to keep mostly flaccid from pure strength of will... and the thoughts of Rebecca doing Slade with a strap-on.

"Would you soap my back?" he asked the man beside him.

"That won't be breaking the rules?" Slade snorted.

"No… as long as it's just my back, and not lower… and it's just soaping." Robin smirked. The man actually looked a bit flustered, and it was not just the heat from the water.

"Fine."

As soon as Slade's hands touched him, Robin subtly arched into them, sighing in pleasure, even though Slade was _very_ careful about not making his movements suspicious.

"I like this…" Robin smiled, smirking on the inside.

"_I'd_ like to lift you up against the wall and fuck you so hard you'll scream." Slade grunted.

"Ah-ah-ah…" the Mongrel-leader said in a sing-song voice. "Remember that you have to grant me ten demands if you do."

"Might be worth it… what's the first thing you'd wish for?"

"Complete world domination." Robin smirked.

"Crap." The man muttered.

"The second, though, would be for you to lift me up against the wall and fuck me so hard I'll scream…" Robin purred, and chuckled as he felt the man's fingers tighten against his skin. He slipped away and rinsed off before Slade decided to act on anything, however, and the man seemed to rein himself in. With some difficulty.

"You could have that every day too." Slade growled.

"It's funny, the way you seem to think I would _want _that." Robin grinned.

"You would… you are practically _begging _for it." The man didn't look particularly happy about Robin's begging-technique, however.

"You keep telling yourself that." the teen said loftily and left the shower. Robin had almost finished dressing when Slade joined him, which was a suspiciously long time later.

* * *

"Lunch?" Robin suggested. "Or are you too… spent?"

"You flatter yourself, I was just tidying up." Slade snorted.

"Soiled something?" The teen smirked.

Slade merely muttered something under his breath, and Robin was in an exceptional mood as they left the changing room a little while later.

"Aw, don't be grumpy. You know you are my favorite world-dictator ever, don't you?" The black-haired teese snickered.

The man moved like a viper, and the next second Robin found himself being pushed against, and almost into, a wall.

"My patience is fading fast, little bird. Care to test it some more?" Slade snarled.

"Hey, you can't touch me, or I'll win the-" Robin started.

"That deal was only for the shower… it's not valid anymore." the man's voice had now changed to a low growl, and his grip had changed as well, becoming more caressing, although Robin still could hardly move a muscle. The teen's heart was beating fast and hard, like a real bird's. The man in front of him looked feral and now, for the first time since walking in through the doors of the building yesterday, Robin feared for his freedom.

"You… can't! I'm an ambass-"

The man's mouth was then on his, cutting off both his words and his air. It was hot, demanding, not taking no for an answer. How his own lips parted the teen didn't know, but Slade was soon rediscovering his mouth at his own pleasure. Robin felt a hunger inside himself awaken and tilted his head back just a tiny bit. That was all it took for the kiss to change, to become more coaxing, teasing, The man's hands were now stimulating him, more than holding him still, going to all the right spots, doing all the right things.

At last one reached the front of his trousers, rubbing the groin gently. Robin made a small sound into the man's mouth, as his hips jerked, asking for more.

Then, as fast as it happened, Slade stepped away and started walking.

"_Now_ try to tell me that you're not begging for it." he said, smirking over his shoulder. "Hurry up, the board meeting is right after lunch."

Robin just stood there, blinking, for a moment. Then he followed, trying very hard not to walk funny.

* * *

It was somewhat scary to have a room full of men and women stare at him, Robin thought. He was used to being the center of attention in large groups, but they didn't usually look at him like these people did. There were hostility, envy, suspicion, happiness… well, the last one was Duncan, who even dared a very small wave.

"This is, as you all know, Robin. We'll discuss his attendance later." Slade told his board as he sat down. Robin took the appointed seat to his right, feeling more daggers being glared at him as he did.

As Slade started going through the agenda, Robin looked around. He recognized most of the faces, but it seemed some had been replaced during the past year. No matter, this job was clearly high risk, and he had never learned the names of those people anyway.

Irena was still here, however, smirking at him with a curiously raised eyebrow. Robin smirked back openly, which made her other brow rise as well.

During lunch with the man, he had tried to hide the fact that he had been afraid of him, disguising it with an irritation over the kiss. Slade hadn't commented on his fear, but the man would have to been blind not to see it… and that made Robin's position weaken. He couldn't let that happen again, so, even though he felt uneasy at the table, he kept his face blank.

When it finally came time to discuss the Mongrels, the teen stood up.

"As Slade said, I'm Robin. I know that I appear to be no more than a kid, and many of you remember me as Slade's pet, but trust me; I'm older than I look. So, of course, is Slade." he said, placing a hand on the sitting man's shoulder, a touch of familiarity but not too intimate.

That got the people's attention. Robin could immediately see that they were trying to draw conclusions, and he hoped they would be something along the line of Robin being an immortal of almost the same standing as their leader. He needed them to see beyond his youth and his former collar if his, or Slade's, words would have the affect they both wanted. They had discussed tactics briefly over lunch and Slade had once more cautioned him against opposing him in any way. Robin, however, refused to play the minion, and decided to treat the man as an accomplice instead.

"He has already told you why I started out acting like a pet;" Robin continued, "I was an observer. A spy, you might say… I remember getting two of you killed at this very table at my first meeting… it was quite… interesting." Robin saw some familiar faces wince, while others looked somewhat nervous. "That should teach you never to go against you leader's wishes, but hopefully you know that by now. Well, after my time here, helping sorting out some… trouble, I decided to help with another one. The Mongrels. We staged my 'escape' a year ago, and in that short time I have managed to not only gain their trust, but to become their leader." Robin took a pause and looked down on Slade with a little playful smile on his face. "I think Slade is quite proud of me, aren't you?"

"Indeed." the man smirked back and turned to the board. "I planned this 'take over' for one simple reason; to control the Mongrels."

"Sir, why not just lure them all into a trap now, then?" one man in a light gray suit asked. "That would solve the problem permanently."

"Quite the opposite." Robin answered, with a little derisive laugh. "In fact, I'm proposing to make the life-situation for these people much, much better."

"What? Why?" several people muttered or asked around the large table.

"Destroy one pack of dogs, and the next runaways will just start a new one. This way we create a false sense of security for them, and we also get access to them as laborers." Slade said. "I am working on a fake treaty with Robin at the moment, to give them things they need without raising any suspicions. This includes vast amounts of renovations and maintenance."

"Why bother? It will cost us manpower and materials, and for what? Making runaway slaves comfortable?" a burly, bald man quite close to the head of the table objected.

"Of course not!" Robin snorted before Slade had a chance to answer. "The damage to that part of the city is extensive. If we are ever to reclaim that land we would have to do the renovations anyway, and now… the mongrels will do most of the work _for_ us." He sat down, a positively wicked smile on his face. "They will work, sweat, bleed… and we will reap the benefits. In one year or ten, through violence or incorporation, all of New York will be truly ours."

* * *

"Impressive, my little bird…" Slade said in a low voice as they mingled with the board members before dinner a few hours later. "I especially liked that little nod to Winston Churchill… work, sweat and bleed, indeed… Some of them were eating out of your hand by the end, and all of them seemed to at least listen… this means I might not have to replace that many… you saved quite a few lives today."

"I'm so happy for them." Robin muttered. "And I thought 'blood, sweat and tears' might be a little too much…" he added, putting on a smile as they were about to approach yet another member.

Irena had an amused look on her angled face, and Robin remembered that his first impression of her had been of a curve-less Morticia Addams. That impression still stood.

"Robin." she held out her hand this time, and not checking his teeth as she had at their first meeting "I thought there was something fishy about you… on the other hand, you needed to be special to catch Slade's attention."

"I'm _very_ special, trust me." The teen smirked and shook the thin hand with the sharp nails.

"I'm sure you are. We will have more to talk about later… now, are you joining me tonight, Slade?" she asked the man, dismissing Robin rather rudely.

"Of course. It's always a pleasure." The man nodded.

"Oh, good. I thought with Robin back…?"

"Let's just say we are not on the same page regarding certain things. At least not yet." Slade answered and smirked down on Robin, who frowned slightly.

"I'll see you tonight, then. I can't wait." the woman said in a pleased tone and excused herself.

Robin was confused. He was also confused about _why_ he was being confused. It had sounded like… but then, hadn't Slade alluded to the fact that he didn't have any lover? Although, to be fair, he had asked the man if he had slapped any hands _away_… Slade had said that he had been too busy, but that might not mean anything…

"It's time for dinner, let's take our seats." Slade told him, and Robin nodded, although not without giving the man a glare.

* * *

Slade could have laughed out loud, but he, of course, didn't even as much as smile. His little bird was jealous… ha had no reason to, of course; he had no sexual relationship with Irena, they merely had found that they both enjoyed long sessions of chess, checkers or backgammon, and as the woman was not a bad player, Slade actually had to struggle to win at least most of their games. It took a special person to play with him; one smart enough to pose a challenge, and brave enough to actually _dare_ to win. Robin would be perfect as well, but Slade had no idea if his bird liked_ those_ kinds of games… but there would always be time to find out… after all, Irena wouldn't be alive forever. He and Robin just might. And if the teen was interested, Slade felt that it was his turn to do the hunting for a while.

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N. Okay, as I wrote to a reviewer; I'd love for Robin to jump in bed with Slade, but I don't want him to appear WEAK... so this question is for those of you who would object at him "accidently tripping and falling onto Slade's cock"… under what circumstances would you fell it would be acceptable for Robin to "trip"? And I'm not looking for the use of drugs or non-con here, because that WOULD weaken him, I feel… if you have any ideas, please tell me…


	4. Close Calls

A/N: okay, so I've finally gotten it through my thick head that I don't do punctuation in dialogue correctly… I have googled it (that is; "dialogue, punctuation") and found a lot of help, although probably not everything. Apparently you are often supposed to use commas instead of full stops. It looks weird but makes sense…

like:

Wrong: "You are mine." Slade said.

Right: "You are mine," Slade said.

Somewhere it said that it helps to think of the line without the quotation marks, like you wouldn't write:

You are mine. Slade said.

you would put it as:

You are mine, Slade said.

right? Anyway, I'd appreciate more input on this, with links to pages explaining it, because this is like learning how to write all over again and I'm going to make a lot of mistakes… I'll try to focus on it for a while, though… Damn rules… but I want to learn to do it the right way, and then maybe just ignore the hell out of it… you can't ignore a rule you don't know… ;) Well, actually, it might read better, so I might stick to it… thoughts?

**

* * *

**

2061

**Close Calls**

Robin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. The day had gone well, he thought, especially the board meeting, but things kept nagging him. Things like Irena. Robin frowned irritably and rolled over again, punching his pillow in the process. Why couldn't he just let it go? He had carefully tried to extract more information from Slade the whole night, but with no success.

"What does it matter?" he mumbled to himself. "He can fuck her all he wants can't he? What's that got to do with me?"

Robin's eyes suddenly widened as he realized just why Slade screwing Irena might be _very _bad for him indeed.

The reason Slade had saved him in the first place was because the man had been fascinated with him, and part of that had later turned into a sexual attraction as well. If Slade got his jollies off somewhere else, did that mean he was losing interest in Robin? And why the hell would Slade put up with the Mongrels and their leader if he was bored with him? The answer was simple: he wouldn't.

_So, what to do? Should I seduce the bastard just to save myself?__ To save the others?_

Robin shook his head. Slade was still interested, he was sure of it. The looks, the smirks, the innuendoes… the kiss. You didn't kiss a person like that if you weren't attracted to him. But maybe it could still happen? If Irena slithered her way deeper into the man's life-

The teen sat up in bed with a curse. He would drive himself crazy just letting these things spin around in his head all night. Better to confront the problem straight on.

* * *

Robin had barely made that decision before he stood in front of Slade's door, shivering slightly in only a pair of pajama pants.

Before he lost his nerve he raised his hand and knocked hard. He waited a moment and then knocked again. Nothing. The clock on the wall in the reception had said that it was just past one in the morning. Slade wasn't back yet? The slut! Robin snorted and was about to turn away when he decided to try the door. It was open.

The hero blinked. Should he walk away? Go back to his room, go to bed, and talk to Slade in the morning instead? Nooooo… Robin smirked a little and slipped into the opening, closing the door behind him.

The apartment was dark and empty. Robin snooped around a little at first. He read some notes he found and then started to look for clues of a woman's presence. He checked around the bed, in the bathroom and even the fridge, before he settled in soft armchair by the bed to wait for his wayward former master. Pulling his cold feet up under him, he tried to analyze the situation. He had found nothing suspicious at all, which had calmed him a little bit. That only meant, however, that Slade might not bring anyone _here_, at least for longer stays. He was somewhere else right this moment. Robin shivered a little again and rubbed his arms, eyeing the comforter on the bed as he continued to think.

If no one had moved in, was his position really threatened? _He_ had lived here, after all. Robin frowned at himself.

_Position__, indeed. What am I? The ex-wife?_

The chilly air in the room was starting to get to him, and, caving, he got up to steal the comforter. As he lifted it, the bed itself suddenly looked very inviting. If he was going to wait, he might as well wait in comfort.

Robin crawled in, inhaling the man's scent as he did, and relaxed. He soon started to get warmer, although his eyelids seemed to get heavier at the same time.

_As soon as I hear footsteps, I'll get up__, _he thought to himself. _I'll stand here, arms crossed and foot tapping, asking something like 'do you know what time it is, young man?' _Robin grinned slightly to himself. _Or… I'll act like I came here to seduce him, and found the room empty, so when he comes in, I'll swoop out telling him he lost his chance… Yeah… that will mess with him… I'll just have to keep my ears open… he'll be… so… annoyed…_

With that thought, Robin fell asleep.

* * *

Everything around him was warm, soft and comfortable. The sun was starting to filter through the windows and-

_Shit!_

- Robin realized that he was still in Slade's bed. And that someone was breathing next to him.

He turned over very, very slowly, and saw Slade's back. Maybe, just _maybe_, the man had been drunk as he came back, so drunk that he didn't notice that there was someone lying in his bed? Robin had never been _that_ lucky in his life, though.

"Got lonely?" a voice asked the moment Robin's toes touched the floor.

"AH!" The teen, somewhat high-strung, jumped a foot in the air.

"All right, shut up or go back to your room. It's five in the morning," Slade muttered into his pillow.

"Sorry?" The apology was mumbled and somewhat disbelieving. Why wasn't he being ravished this very moment? Why hadn't he been _woken up_ that way? Well, Robin wasn't the kind to stick around where he was not wanted. He fled to his own room, trying desperately to think of a very good excuse to tell Slade over breakfast.

* * *

"I was sleepwalking."

Slade raised an eyebrow and looked at the gorgeous little blue eyed liar across the kitchen table. The man had been delighted to return home from a long chess-game to find the young minx curled up in his bed. It had been hard not to touch the slim body, but he decided not to, because that would be doing what Robin expected him to do. If he wanted to keep his former pet on his toes, something Slade enjoyed immensely, he needed some self control. His plan had, obviously, worked, though he had been disappointed when his little bird had left instead of… well… any other scenario might not be plausible outside of his fantasies at the moment.

"Sleepwalking? And when did this start?" Slade asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"Oh, it… just happens. Occasionally." Robin couldn't even look at him.

"I see. Must be terribly dangerous." The corners of Slade's mouth fought to curl, but lost to the man's strength of will.

"Yeah… well… What's on the agenda for today? It's Liberation Day tomorrow, so…" Robin said.

"Well, as far as the negotiations, I have granted you more than enough already," Slade said, stirring his coffee. "For starters I'll agree to the truce. I want a complete and I do mean _complete_, list of the Mongrels. Names, birthdates and ID-numbers if you know them. I will give you a battery-charger for your cell phone and I want you to carry the phone with you always."

"Because it has a tracker in it?" Robin muttered grumpily. He apparently didn't like all of these demands this early in the morning.

"Actually, it doesn't. Calls can still be traced, but if we are going into more serious negotiations, I will need to be able to reach you, at all hours of the day. These things can't be solved in a few days, it will take weeks, probably months, to work out most of the details and get the work started. So, if you are serious about your demands…?"

"I am!" The Mongrel leader had straightened up, eyes burning with determination.

"Good. Then you will put yourself at my disposal."

"Fine, I will," the teen nodded, missing or ignoring the innuendo. "And what about the birth-control drugs?"

"They are being prepared as we speak. I assumed that you would spend the whole Liberation Day with us and return on Monday morning. A medical team will come with you at that time. I didn't think it was wise to send them out without you."

"No, you're right. Good. Thank you." The young man smiled tiredly and then leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

"Eat some more," Slade told him.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"Must be all that sleep-walking," the man deadpanned.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Not the kind of tone you'd want to take with me, Robin," Slade warned him.

"Maybe if you grew a sense of humor…?" the teen suggested.

"I happen to think I'm doing rather well in that department," the man snorted.

"Yes… and to you 'delusional' is just another big word."

"That's enough. Finish your sandwich," Slade said sternly.

"Yes, daddy." The teen rolled his eyes and took a big bite.

"And no sex-talk."

Robin had a rather severe coughing-attack after that.

* * *

Robin was in the small kitchen drinking some water to soothe his rather sore throat. As usual, as soon as he was alone, his mind started spinning out of control.

_I can't let him play me… he's a master at mind-games, I always used to second guess both myself and him… I feel like I'm falling into the same pattern with him again. There was a reason I left, after all! He's a cold-blooded killer, a tyrant who has no regard at all for the value of a human life! And what do I do? I keep thinking that he's sexy... or charming…. yeah, charming like a snake! I actually ENJOY most of our conversations! How fucked up in the head AM I? When he woke me up__ after being frozen he treated me like a pet, and yeah, he said later that it was all a rouse to keep me safe, but come on! How do I know that's the truth? I'm still a toy to him, no matter how much he talked about me standing by his side… like I would WANT that! I'll stand on my OWN side, damnit! Still, I have to play his game, or there will be a disaster… I can't tell him to go fuck himself one second and ask for favors the next… he's holding all the cards and he knows it, the fucking bully. Should I just be grateful that he hasn't demanded sex yet? Well, actually, that puts me even more on edge… I thought that the second I walked into his office, he would bend me over the desk… well… more or less… it freaks me out that he hasn't! I'm here for him to just TAKE after all, it's not like I could really object… FUCK he's screwing with my head! I need a break!_

"Slade?" Robin said as he returned to the breakfast table. "If we're more or less done, I would like to go visit Rebecca for a while."

"You do?" Slade, _almost_, sounded somewhat disappointed.

"Yeah, but just for, like… half an hour or so? I mean, we'll spend all day tomorrow with them, right? Don't wanna overdose… I just want to talk to her a little."

"Fine. I'll take you there and make some calls before picking you up again. Is there something you would want to do afterwards?"

"Yeah…" Robin smiled. "There is something I've wanted to do for quite some time now…" he came up and stood next to the seated man. As Slade turned around on his chair, Robin stepped in even closer, between the man's knees, and smiled down at him. He let his fingers caress the right side of the man's face, shivering from something he couldn't quite name… anticipation? Fear? Lust? He bent down slightly.

"I really… really… want… to kick your ass."

"Sparring it is, then…" the man chuckled. "I'll make sure your suit is ready."

* * *

"Rebecca, do you remember the children I asked you to take care off? What happened to them?"

They were sitting in Rebecca and Randolph's living-room, a tray of snacks on the table in front of them.

The woman's smiled, but there was sadness mixed into the expression.

"They are doing better. It's slow going… I've arranged for them to have a mother and a father, both psychology-specialists, because, I'm sorry to say, I couldn't help them myself. I tried, but-"

"That's okay, they really needed special care." Robin patted the woman's arm comfortingly. "But they are doing better, then?"

"Yes, they are very shy, but they are functioning… some days it's better and some days it's worse, but I think that they might get to be happy in the future."

"What… did Slade say when you took them in?"

"When he heard it was you who suggested it, he didn't object." Rebecca shrugged. "After all, he wouldn't deny you anything, would he?" she added with a little smile.

Robin sighed. He was used to the woman's delusions, but he wondered how much they influenced him? If Rebecca kept claiming things like this, maybe Robin would soon start to believe her… after all, it had been a close call last time.

"Yeah, sure…" he mumbled.

"Are things… not going well?" the motherly woman asked with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Well, yeah, they are, really." Robin shrugged. "He has agreed to a few of my demands for starters, and when I leave on Monday morning I know my people will be very happy with my news."

"Oh, you really want to leave so soon? Why not stay a while longer?" Rebecca asked. "We'll all miss you, you know! Slade especially."

"He will be able to call me any time. One of _his_ demands." Robin grinned a little. "Besides, he has Irena, right?" he fished.

"Irena? Nonsense!" Rebecca burst out in a little giggle. "You are not jealous, are you? They are just friends!"

_Yeah, in YOUR world… but it your world Slade __and I are practically MARRIED…_ Robin thought dryly to himself.

"Yeah, well, he spent half the night there…" the teen mumbled, deciding to play the hurt lover-card, even though it would only add to the woman's delusion. There was no way to get it to go away, in any case, so…

"I think he's _trying_ to make you jealous! The naughty man!" Rebecca looked positively delighted at the prospect for some reason. "Well, Randolph told me that they were playing chess all night yesterday, in one of the panorama dining-rooms. He ought to know, since he has to organize security."

"Chess?" Robin blinked.

"Yes, Slade resumed playing after you left, but he kept beating poor Randy into the ground… Irena has chess in her blood and was taught by her grandfather, a master player. Randolph was _so_ relieved when he found out and suggested her as an opponent instead."

"_Chess_?" Robin repeated.

"Yes, dear," Rebecca confirmed patiently.

"He really _is _trying to make me jealous, isn't he?" the hero whispered faintly and slumped back into the sofa.

_Or he's trying to make me BELIEVE he's making me jealous, because then I would think that he cares on some level, and I might- NO! I'm doing it again! He's driving me crazy!_

"Robin? Ready to go?" the man in question asked from the door at that moment.

Robin just nodded and stood up, only then noticing that Slade was dressed in his version of Robin's own suit, carrying a smaller one over his left arm.

This reminded the teen of what they were about to do and he grinned. He didn't think he had ever wanted to kick Slade's ass as much now.

* * *

In the locker room Robin got handed his now clean suit.

"It's just cleaned and mended, no trackers or poisons put in," Slade said before he could be accused of anything.

"I'm going to take your word for it… until I can scan it," Robin snorted.

"Fair enough. I'll go set things up while you change," the older man offered.

"What? Don't want to watch me?" The teasing words were out before he could stop them.

"If you want me to, all you have to do is ask."

"Here's me not asking. Go prepare for me to wipe the floor with you… there's a good Slade." Robin waved the man off.

"You're pushing it again." The warning came with a small smirk, and the man left.

* * *

Robin smiled as he danced away from yet another one of Slade's punches. He then dived in close and delivered one of his own. He had wanted to hit the man in the gut, but Slade turned and Robin's fist crashed into his side instead.

Robin cursed quietly as he jumped back, his thigh grazed by a low sweeping kick. Causing pain wasn't good enough, because Slade could handle pain. If he would have a chance at winning, he needed to take something away, like the man's breath. A really good hit to the abdomen or solar plexus would be perfect.

"You are very hot and cold, my bird… can't make up your mind?" Slade smirked.

"Oh, I just don't want to spend too much time close to you," Robin shrugged and threw himself flat on the floor to avoid another kick. He flipped himself upright again so fast that Slade barely saw the move.

"You seemed to enjoy the kiss yesterday… enough to crawl into my bed… What am I to believe?" the man pointed out and threw out his hands in a mocking gesture.

Robin saw the opportunity at once. His heel hit Slade's jaw, whipping the man's head to the side.

"That's the only kind of kiss I want to give you," the teen smirked.

Any other man would have had to be on a liquid diet for a month after a kick like that, but Slade only spat out some blood and shook his head.

"You are just playing hard to get," he chuckled.

"Yeah, sure, that's it… and you are playing easily lost," Robin supplied. The blood had given him an idea. Unfortunately Slade had decided to show him his place, and Robin had to do everything in his power to just stay on his feet for the next ten minutes. His new boost of healing-drugs helped, however, and, suddenly there was another opening. Robin flew forwards, knowing he left himself more or less open to Slade, but if it worked, that might not matter. His fist landed perfectly right above the man's left eye.

Robin threw himself back, watching the eyebrow split and a torrent of blood run down into the man's good eye. Take something away… and sight wasn't a bad choice.

He had no time to waste, and moved in for the 'kill' a hard kick to the man's stomach, which just had to bring him down long enough for Robin to declare his victory. Sure, the groin was an option as well, but Robin had a bit more decorum than that… providing it wasn't a life or death situation of course.

The teen grinned in triumph as his foot shot towards its target and- was caught. Robin had only time to yelp before he found himself on his back, Slade on top of him, pushing down blindly but efficiently. The wound had already stopped bleeding, and a firm hold around Robin's throat kept him pinned while Slade wiped off the sticky mess with his other hand.

"Clever," the man purred as he was able to blink his eye open, "but I know how to fight in the dark."

"Still got the hit in." Robin gasped for breath. Slade was probably pressing his throat just a little more than the man realized, not that Robin would ever tell him so.

"That you did…" the man leaned down until they were almost face to face. They were both breathing heavily after the long fight, Robin's heart was pounding, adrenaline flowing without being given any more outlets. His arms were free. He could punch, slap, scratch… even stick a thumb in that damn glittering eye above him, but, for some reason, Robin couldn't move. That eye, surrounded by drying blood, like war paint, and his own beating heart were the only things he could focus on.

"Maybe I should give you another demonstration…" Slade suggested, "… to help you find out what kinds of kisses you prefer…"

The hand moved from his throat to back around his neck instead. Robin tried to will himself to move, but it was like the man had mesmerized him; instead of being used as weapons, his hands suddenly rested around the man's back, his eyes closed, his lips parted-

"Slade! There's a messenger from the Mongrels!"

Randolph's voice from the door snapped Robin out of it, and suddenly he _could _move. He pushed Slade's shoulders so hard that the man was almost thrown completely off him, and got to his feet.

"Where? Who?" he asked.

"Down in the lobby. I don't know his name… there was something about a baby…"

Robin cursed as sense of dread came over him. He grabbed a towel as he passed a pile, and wiped the sweat out of his eyes.

"Take me down there. Now."

_To be continued…._

* * *

A/N just a short chapter… It has been almost finished for some time, so I just wrote the last page today… Now I'm gonna focus on the New Year drabble… and on getting better, because I woke up with a cold this morning… -sigh- I hope I won't get sick enough to keep me from writing… -_- Time to get out of bed. It's lunch.


	5. The Good Master

A/N: Could the anonymous reviewer calling him/her-self things like "**batmail . com"** and similar names like that, and who only leaves the same kind of message: "write more soon if you can, like your story it's pretty good" (and variations of this) please **stop**.

I've noticed you reviewing other people's work with the same or similar message, and almost wonder if it's a real person behind this or something else… ANYWAY, sweet message, yeah, but not the10-20'th time you get it… I will update when I can. If you like my, and others, stories so much, why not try to write something about WHY, something constructive, instead of merely asking/demanding/hassling us for updates? Pay us writers back in sensible, unique reviews; that's the only way to inspire us to work harder. Thank you.

Anyway, here IS the next chapter, finally! (Remember, this is a 'drabble-collection', and has no updating schedule. You can still help by telling me your ideas about what might happen, and what you don't want to happen… these have helped me SO much so far, so thanks!).

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2061

**The Good Master**

Randolph detained Slade for a moment, wanting to discuss something with him, so Robin was escorted by another security officer down to the first floor lobby.

Waiting for him there, dressed mostly in grubby white, was a giant of a man. The teen couldn't help but grin a little as he looked at Slade's guards, who were surrounding the man nervously. He, of course, knew that the man was a gentle giant, unless provoked, but they looked like they were guarding a grizzly with a toothache. That said, the man _did _look nervous. His eyes, which were one of the few features of his face, apart from his nose, not covered in stubble, beard or tangled hair, were round and a little glassy.

"John!" Robin called out. He remembered having a laughing-fit when he discovered the large man's name. Robin and a big guy named John… he had wondered if there was a maid Marian around as well… or maybe, in his case, a maid Mario. The man had been one of the first who had spoken up on Robin's behalf, however, about giving the teen a chance to prove himself, and now he acted as second in command.

"Robin! Oh, thank god you are all right!" the man called back and soon the teen was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug complete with spin. John was one of those men who liked to hug people, friends and foes alike, and somehow, he was also a man you _wanted_ a hug from, even though it was somewhat embarrassing to be swung around like a rag doll. John did that to everyone, though. He _could_, as he had a build like a mountain on feet. He wasn't exactly fat, although he might have been if the Mongrel's diet hadn't prevented it, but still managed to be wide as a barn-door. His shoulders could easily rival Slade's in width and, as the one-eyed man's body tapered at all the right places and Johns didn't, he probably weighed almost the double.

"Don't crush me!" Robin laughed. "What has happened? What about the baby? Is Amanda alright?"

"She has a fever… it's high, and the baby is very weak too… we… we need you back. I know you can't _do_ anything, but please come?"

* * *

Slade had stepped out of his personal elevator just in time to see a big oaf _hug_ his bird in a _much_ too familiar way. On the other hand, a firm handshake would have been too familiar when it came to his property.

Slade was not amused.

* * *

"Not do anything, my ass!" Robin growled and gently removed himself from the bone-crushing hug.

He looked around and spotted a scowling Slade.

"Slade, I need you!"

* * *

Now, _those_ were words the man wanted to hear, although the setting was rather wrong. But still, if Robin was willing to utter them, the man found he might be willing to oblige. It depended, of course, on what he could gain from it.

* * *

Robin couldn't quite read the look on the man's face when he came up to them, and got a little nervous. He had to play this carefully unless he wanted to end up with a dead friend.

"Slade, this is John, my second in command. John, this is Slade_, don't hug him_!"

The large man heeded the warning and stuck out a hand instead. It wouldn't occur to John not to greet someone he was introduced to, even if that someone happened to be the despot responsible for his current living-situation.

For a moment Slade looked at the hand like he wondered what on earth it was, before taking it. The sound of crunching ligaments that followed was the only proof of the strength-test that followed. Robin smirked as the handshake ended. It seemed there had been a tie. He quickly hid his expression, however; giving Slade the impression that he was laughing at him at the moment would_ not_ be a good idea.

"Slade, John's wife and newborn child have fallen sick. I need Rose and maybe a few of her colleagues… a pediatrician would be great! A mobile hospital if there are any, or at least an ambulance." Robin checked the things off on his fingers, while trying to figure out what else could be needed. He had a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, though. He blinked when he realized what, and looked up at the man. "Please?"

"And what do_ I_ get?" Slade asked with a smirk.

"If they both live… you can have anything, as long as I'm free to give it to you," Robin growled, having a feeling that he knew what the man would demand.

"Very well, then you'll stay with me for a week," Slade said.

Robin blinked.

"That's… that's all? No… other demands?"

"Nothing aside the pleasure of your company," the man leered.

"Oh… okay… I'd say you lost out there, but, sure. I have to go with them, though. I'll try to get back to spend Liberation Day with you all tomorrow, though… and that week will start as soon as I can get away. With John by Amanda and the baby's side, I have to take charge."

"With my generosity, I'm sure they can manage," Slade said coldly and stared at the wide, bearded man.

"Yes… yes, Robin, I'm sure… if a doctor can come…?"

The hope in John's voice was almost heartbreaking.

"As you wish, Slade," the teen agreed, knowing when he had been defeated. "But I will still go with them now. As I said, I'll try to be back tomorrow. Now… may I please call Rose?"

"Randolph can have everything arranged quicker," Slade said and gave the chief of security, who had been standing in the background, a nod. "You heard what is needed, I expect?"

"Yes, Sir. Give me twenty minutes and we'll be ready to go."

"Send my regards to Rebecca; tell her I'm sorry if I can't make it back," Robin called out as the man turned around.

"I will," Randolph said with a curt nod.

Robin had a feeling the man didn't like him very much at the moment… actually, he had suspected as much since he got back. Sure, the guy had never exactly been _too_ warm and friendly, but… Well, Robin supposed he had hurt the man's pride when he had managed to escape all his guards and security-features.

"Thank you… Thank you so much…" The bear of a man split his praise between Robin and Slade, and the teen stepped up to take his hand.

"Rose is great, I promise. Everything will be fine, I'm sure of it."

"Never promise your subordinates what you can't be sure to keep," Slade said coldly behind him.

"Ignore Slade, I just kicked him in the teeth," Robin muttered to John, whose eyes got very wide and worried. The teen immediately regretted his words. He didn't want John to think that he would endanger his wife and child by annoying the man who could easily take away the medical care they had just been granted. "Sorry," he said to John, before turning to Slade and repeating the apology. "Sorry. You are right. Of course I can't promise that they will be fine, but I can promise that I'll do everything I can to help."

Slade nodded, a little smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

_

* * *

_

Interesting…

Slade had only seen the oaf of a man as an unwelcomed intruder at first, but now, the way Robin was acting… it was definitely an improvement. Slade saw the way the teen had grasped the concept of how important his former Master was now, in the Mongrel's future, and not just on paper. Now there was living proof of it, and the boy knew that Slade held it all in his hand. Good. Hopefully it would all end well and Robin would have to add gratitude to the list. Fear. Lust. Respect. Gratitude. Not bad. Not bad at all. Now Slade should make a gesture, to seal the deal, so to speak.

"Robin, I will inform the security in charge of the expedition, as well as Rose, that you have free hands to order everything you might need in terms of specialist, medicine or equipment when it comes to the care of the patients. Nothing needs to go through me first."

The teen looked up at him, with that special wide-eyed look the predator in Slade loved.

"I… really? Thank you!"

"I _do_ hope you will be reasonable and responsible, though." the man added, to snap the leash onto the collar. "But I think I can trust your judgment. If you need more advanced medical facilities, every hospital in the city is open to you. Rose should know where to go."

* * *

Robin blinked up at the man. Who was this? Slade the Good Samaritan?

"Thank you," the teen said again, but immediately realized that it was not enough. "I'll really try to come back as soon as possible."

* * *

Slade hid a smirk behind a slightly concerned façade.

_Bingo… Yes, Robin, feel guilty enough to run back to me… I wonder if you will run back quicker if I give you __a bit slacker leash? Let's try that._

"There's no need to hurry if you are truly needed. Rebecca would be very disappointed, if you missed the Liberation Day meal, though."

"I'm sure I can hitch a ride back with someone, maybe tonight or tomorrow morning," the teen, who just moments ago had claimed that he'd be gone as long as he wanted, said urgently.

Slade smiled.

"I'll tell her that. Now, here's Rose and the others, I see, off you go." Slade clasped his hand onto the shoulder of the large man. "I had a family once too. My thoughts will be with you."

"Th-thank you, Sir!" the bearded man stuttered, looking like wanted to hug him again.

Robin, however, shot him a look like there was a small alien sitting on Slade's head, controlling him with a joystick.

_Hmmm… might have gone a little too far, there…_ the man suspected.

"Goodbye for now, pet. Don't give me a reason to come find you… because I _will_," Slade said, to, hopefully, put the teen at ease again, "and you might not like it." It seemed to work, as Robin smirked and nodded, before hurrying away towards the small army of vehicles and people waiting outside.

Slade watched him go with a smirk of his own on his face. He wondered if Robin would even notice the collar he wore this time, and that it, although invisible, was stronger than his old ones. Hopefully not, or he would start to struggle. Slade would prefer it if he just… heeled.

* * *

Robin found himself deeply impressed by the medical turn-out; there was even a mobile lab and a mobile surgery, even if Robin had no idea what use surgery would be against fever. _Well, better safe than sorry_, he guessed.

Robin and John were in an open jeep at the head of the caravan, to ward off any attacks. Robin sat in the front, next to the driver, and John in the back, next to Rose.

Most of the vehicles, except for an ambulance and their jeep, were made to stop in the open no-man's-land. Robin didn't want to agitate his Mongrels more than necessary, and there was space here to set things up.

They left them behind as they continued deeper into the Mongrel territory. Robin could see how nervous their driver was and chuckled. He liked that he had made his people a little more respected. Had this been a year ago, the man would probably have been eager, not scared.

Rose had questioned John about symptoms all the way, and it seemed she had a pretty good grip on the situation already.

"Do you think it's dangerous?" Robin asked.

"High fevers are not to be taken lightly." the blond woman frowned. "And, as you don't have a thermometer, we don't know how much of a temperature she has… I think we can help with the fever, it all depends on what the underlying problem is… it's probably an infection, and we have to move fast. About the baby, I don't know yet… We'll keep our fingers crossed."

* * *

Robin closed his eyes as hot water washed over him. He was back in the Empire State Building and it was just after one AM. It's been a long day.

Amanda had been diagnosed with childbed fever, but Rose had all but promised a full recovery. The baby, a very small girl, had been given nutrients and checks up, and seemed to be doing better. With Amanda sick, the child hadn't been breastfed quite enough, and with a weak constitution to begin with, the emergency milk supplements had not been sufficient. Now, however, the future looked brighter for the child. As bright as a mongrel's future _could _look.

Robin had gathered the council and told them about the developments. They were pleased but cautious; they knew not to celebrate before having any proof. He also told them of the rouse he had made up to tell Slade's board members, just in case rumors would trickle back. The proudest of the men and women didn't like that they had been described as fools or slaves-to-be, but most of them were sensible enough to understand that the board had to get some kind of explanation.

Robin and Rose had left the patients in the capable care of a small team of nurses and returned here only half an hour ago. Robin, hadn't seen Slade, and been escorted to his room by William, who looked like he had been woken up for that privilege. The teen had been informed that Slade had retired for the night, and didn't see any need to disturb him; all he wanted was a shower and some sleep.

As he peeled off his outfit he realized that it could probably do with another washing, and wondered if it would be too presumptuous to ask Slade for another outfit so he had a spare. Yeah. Probably was. He had regular clothes too, of course, but there was something to be said about bullet proof fabrics.

Now, in the shower, Robin felt the tensions of the day slowly leaving him, and his bed seemed to call to him quite feverishly.

He stepped out of the shower and started to dry himself while leaving the bathroom altogether.

"How did it go?"

Robin jumped and quickly swept the towel around himself.

"Slade! How… when…?"

"I knocked," the man claimed. "When you didn't answer I tried the door. It was open. I just wanted to check that you were alright. When I heard the shower I decided to leave. I was just about to."

Robin's eyes narrowed for a second, but he decided that even if the man lied, it didn't matter much. The door _had_ been open, he knew, because he just realized that he had forgotten to lock it. This caring side of the man was more suspicious than anything, though, but, on the other hand, it was probably an excuse for his control-issues.

"I'm fine. Amanda and the baby too, probably."

"Glad to hear it," the man nodded.

"Yeah, sure," Robin sighed, somewhat unconvinced. "Thanks again, Slade. Rose said that if she hadn't gotten antibiotics within the next day or so..."

The man nodded curtly.

"We are expected for breakfast at the Wintergreen's tomorrow morning. I thought I'd let you know."

"Early?" Robin groaned.

"Not until nine. Sleep in. I'll have William wake you in time."

"Thanks… I'll be there…" Robin looked longingly at his bed and then went over to collapse on it.

"That tired, are you?" the man chuckled.

"Mmm…" Robin mumbled. "Hey!" he objected as his towel was pulled away.

"Going to bed wet with a wet towel around you… you are _asking_ for a cold." Slade snorted and pulled the covers over him.

"Aww… are you tucking me in?" Robin smiled sleepily, wondering if he could actually _get_ sick, with the drug in his system. Then he remembered Slade telling him that the longevity-drug was mostly centered on healing wounds and regenerate cells, meaning that germs and such could still make him at least mildly ill.

"If you wake up and are cold, feel free to come to my bed. I'll warm you up in no time," the man above him smirked.

"Go away."

"As you wish. Good night, pet."

Robin muttered something unflattering while Slade, chuckling, left the room. Then he buried himself deeper under the blankets and was out like a light.

_To Be Continued (whenever the hell I feel like it… ; ) )_

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A/N: I loooooved writing Slade in this chapter… just loooooved it. It's a good thing Robin can't read over my shoulder, huh? I wonder what he would do…?

Yes, yes, it was a short chapter. Next we'll deal with the Liberation Day. Robin has brought presents for the Wintergreens... did he bring one for Slade? _What _in that case? If you have any idea about something he could give Slade (remember his Mongrel circumstances) why not tell me? Make Slade happy! Oh, not TOO happy, I'm sure Robin wouldn't be foolish enough to bring him anything sex-related… ;)

Next planned update (although not of this story) is on the 16'th in my "Delightful Drabbles". Black Sheep 3 is coming along, I'm just not quite ready to start posting it…


	6. Gifts and Promises

A/N: Big news! **KiRaToYa** and **Pri-ThePuppeteer** have started a group on Deviant Art called "Wynja's Tiny Ducklings" (-lol- I just love that name). It's a place where Sladin-fans who like my stories and pics can gang up on me and make me update… or something… I don't know the full evil plot that's behind this yet… ;) Anyway, it also collects art and stories inspired by my stories and there is some lovely stuff up already! Go check it out and PLEASE join! It's at http:/ wynjastinyducklings,deviantart,com/ (change commas to dots)

I'm trying to think of a way to give the members something extra, but I have to figure out how… I'll do that, though… ;)

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2061

**Gifts and Promises**

"Rise and shine!" William called from the door in what seemed like five minutes after Robin had fallen asleep.

"I'll rise, but I damn well won't shine…" the teen muttered in a rather age-appropriate, grumpy way, and sat up.

"Rose just got word that your friend is responding well to the treatment and both her and the child seems to be out of danger," William let him know. "See, there you go with the shining as well."

"That's great news!" Robin smiled brightly, and felt so energetic that he all but jumped out of bed.

"Um… yes…" the man in the door suddenly sported a very red face.

"What?"

"Pajamas?"

"What about them?"

"They are… not there."

Robin looked down and then quickly snatched the covers from the bed to shield himself.

"It's Slade's fault!"

"I _thought _he looked pleased about something this morning…" William muttered, trying to collect himself. The last time he had seen the teen completely naked for a longer period of time was as he had helped him bathe when he was sick, but back then he hadn't yet learned to really… _appreciate _the male form as he did now… Slade was lucky, but hell, so was Robin.

"Not like that, he just stole my towel!" Robin snorted as he tried to get a pair of boxers on under the comforter. "Wait… he looked pleased? That's not good."

"That's _very_ good, Robin," William objected and rolled his eyes. "For us mortals, anyway. You remember to dress in white or light colors, right?"

"Yeah, I do, don't worry. How much time do I have?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"What? What if I wanted to take a shower?"

"Slade said you did that late last night and that you would prefer to get some extra sleep," William said in that faint apologetic voice of the employee who knew that, after all, he had done the right thing by following orders.

"Yeah, yeah…" Robin muttered, "not your fault. I'll be out in a bit."

He dug through his wardrobe, thinking of how used he was to not really having many choices when it came to clothes. In the end he chose white fitted jeans, probably the pair he had worn last year, and a white armless, tight top, which zipped up in front. It was just breakfast after all. He had to find something a little more appropriate to wear at dinner.

He spent some time on his hair, something he really needed to do, since he had gone to bed with it wet and it now looked like… he had gone to bed with it wet. After a while he managed to tame it, and rushed out of the room with a few minutes to spare.

"Good morning. I trust you slept well?"

Slade looked almost pristine in a white, long-sleeved top and white slacks. In an every-day situation the color, or rather, absence of other colors, would look strange, the teen supposed, but it was tradition, and the man looked damn good in white… as he did himself, actually.

"Ummm, yes," Robin nodded, trying to see if he could spot any underwear under the man's trousers.

"Good. Then let's go. There's a present waiting for you."

"Really, Slade, you shouldn't have-" the hero started.

"It's only a little thing," the man smirked. "You may return it if you like," the man offered as they entered the elevator.

"You are unusually nice this morning…" Robin muttered suspiciously.

"It's Liberation Day," Slade chuckled, "and I'm in a good mood."

"Imagine that," the teen snorted. "I actually had a feeling that this day didn't mean that much to you?"

"As an event, no… but it's a day focused around family, and I like to spend it with mine… with all of them, even those who are just memories now."

Robin looked away and blinked rapidly a few times.

"I have quite a few of those…" he mumbled.

"I know. Has it become any easier?"

"A little… maybe because there are so few reminders." Robin answered.

* * *

Slade smiled on the inside. He didn't want to disgrace the memories of Wintergreen and Liam, as well as his wife and sons, by playing this card, but he hadn't been dishonest. This was a day invented by William Wintergreen the first, after all, and Slade always took time to remember them all on this day. Making Robin feel a little bit vulnerable was only a bonus.

"If you want to talk… no, I know I'd be the last person on earth you would want to open up to…" Slade interrupted himself with a little chuckle, hoping the bait would be enough.

"Yeah, but… you are the only one who remember them… well, Mary does too, I guess, but only from the news and such… you've _met _them…"

"That I did. More than I wanted to, perhaps. I still feel an ache in my side now and then, from that time Cyborg blasted me with his sonic cannon… at the City Hall, remember?"

"Yeah, I really thought we had you that time!" Robin's eyes lit up.

Slade smiled down at him, now grinning widely on the inside. He had spent some time thinking back, digging through archives, trying to remember absolutely everything about the Titans, to be prepared for precisely this kind of situation.

_Let's get that hook deeply embedded in his flesh, now…_ the man thought to himself.

"No, the closest you got as a team was actually at the bridge… I got distracted because Cyborg and Beast Boy smelled of something awful. All I could do was focus on not throwing up in my mask."

Robin laughed and started explaining about some sort of game and Tamaranian cooking gone horribly wrong that morning. He was still at it as they arrived at the forty-ninth floor. Slade nodded and chuckled at all the right places. He had intentionally used the boy's former teammates full aliases in a way of showing respect, and the story he had chosen seemed to have been the right one; one that brought both happy memories and longing.

* * *

Robin was still smiling when Rebecca opened the door. It was so nice to be reminded of his team's antics. He missed them terribly, but talking about them with someone actually helped. Maybe he should take Slade up on that offer anyway, he considered. Just talking memories wouldn't change the present or the future, after all, would it?

"Oh look at you, two! Come in, come in!" Rebecca cooed. "We are opening the presents first, and then we'll have breakfast!

Robin almost felt a little bit shy as he entered the living room where everyone was gathered in sofas and plush chairs. They hadn't exchanged presents last year, and he felt like he was intruding. Duncan gave him a little nervous wave, and Robin realized that this was the first time for him as well, and also for Rose's Michael, he supposed, since he had been abroad last year.

The doctor in question smiled at Robin and stood up to greet him.

"You heard they are going to be all right?" she asked.

"Yes. I can't thank you enough, Rose, I really can't," Robin smiled back and dared to give the woman a brief but warm hug.

"They… err... they decided to name her after me…" Rose blushed. "Actually more than me… they named her Rose Robyn Slaine."

"That's a mouthful." the ex-mercenary chuckled.

"They named her after Slade too?" Robin gaped.

"Yes… but Slaine also means 'good health'. It's Irish," Rebecca told them. "I looked it up!" she added, and beamed like she had become a grandmother herself.

"She will be _called_ Rose, though," the original Rose grinned, "and apparently you and I have been named her guardians, whatever that means."

"It means we are to look out for her and help her in life. I'm the guardian of seven so far…" Robin grinned. "I think I have to declare myself off limits soon, or I'll end up with more kids than I can count."

"I'll help you put together some presents for the baby!" Rebecca offered. "When can I meet her?"

"We'll… arrange something," Slade quickly interrupted. "Shall we get started?"

"Oh, yes, let's!" the mother-figure of the room clapped her hands and turned to a small mountain of gifts.

Slade, in the meanwhile, steered Robin toward a loveseat.

"If she meets the kid and parents she would want them to move in here… and before I know it, all of the Mongrels will probably live here," Slade muttered.

"A wonderful idea, you have the room after all!" Robin grinned at him. "So, how does it feel to have someone named after you?"

"Like it would be rather embarrassing if I have to kill her parents in the future," the man mumbled.

Robin smirked. He thought and hoped it had been a joke.

* * *

"Who wants to start?" Rebecca asked and Robin stood up.

"I will, since it's pretty easy to fine the ones I brought…" he grinned. "I'm sorry, Rebecca, but we Mongrels found ourselves lacking when it came to white wrapping-paper," he added. He had actually entertained the thought of stealing some at the time, but it just wouldn't have been worth the trouble.

"Oh, that's alright, I'll send you some," the somewhat airheaded woman smiled.

Robin, not wanting to point out that maybe food and warmth would be more appreciated, just nodded and approached the pile.

His parcels were pretty small and wrapped in a coarse brown paper that had been used as packing in a crate of fruit they had stolen. He had saved a few pieces from the fire, and tied the presents up with string. There weren't names on any of them, but Robin knew what they contained. He had brought enough of them, thanks to some spying and the occasional contact with Rebecca, and although some were more general gifts, a few were particularly chosen.

"Well, as you understand, shopping around has not exactly been possible, but I wanted to give you something that shows a little of what that we, the Mongrels, have to offer… I know the artists personally, and I hope you like the things…" he said as he gave each of the assembled people a gift. He ended his round with Slade, handing the man a heavy parcel with a little embarrassed smile.

"Well, it's Slade-mas after all," Robin grinned.

"Thank you," the man smirked back, looking a bit surprised, in fact, which please the hero.

"Oh, Robin, it's beautiful!" Rebecca exclaimed and held up a necklace.

There were many artistic talents among the Mongrels, although they all only spent time with their crafts after all the important necessary chores had been done. Some of the older people of the society, who were too weak to do much else, kept their hands busy with these things though, in between watching over the children and teaching them whatever they might know, like reading and writing.

Many of the artists used scraps; metals, twine, leather, glass, anything they could find which had no other use, and created quite wonderful things. Rebecca and Rose had both received necklaces, Rose's a little longer, since Robin knew she quite liked plunging necklines when she could get away with it. The metal pieces were formed as leaves and flowers, and though it was only common metals, like steel, they were polished until they shone.

"Oh, this is so cool! Look, I'm your little kitten!" Duncan cooed and placed the choker necklace he had gotten around his neck while giving William a very flirty look.

Will coughed, blushed, and Robin thought he heard a whisper of "Later!"

Mary got a bracelet where the artist had managed to enclose colored pieces of glass into a weave of metal threads. Randolph and Michael got wristbands for their watches, made of braided leather, and William grinned as he got an embossed leather folder. Robin had actually had to 'acquire' enough leather for that, but then a guard in a leather jacket happened to cross the border and the problem was solved.

"Thank you, Robin, it's lovely."

"Something to help you keep all those papers in order…" Robin smiled. "Open it."

William did, gasped, and quickly closed it again.

"What was it?" Duncan asked curiously.

"Just a little present from me… a few suggestions for 'later'… the artist is quite good, I think," the teen grinned wickedly.

"W-what did you get, Slade?" William asked, clearly attempting to divert the attention from his gift.

"A statue… I'm guessing a paper-weight?" the man said and held it up.

Robin nodded.

"Yes. I told the artist who it was for and she created this… she has a certain way of seeing things from different perspectives," the teen smiled. The statue, about the size of Slade's hand, depicted a man made primarily of lead, beaten and twisted into shape. The man was staggering under a large globe that he was balancing on his hands and shoulders, strongly resembling the statue of the 'Farnese Atlas', although instead of holding the sphere of the heavens, this was clearly the earth, instead… the man also somewhat resembled Slade and was a bit more endowed than its inspiration.

"I think I have an idea where some of the art-literature in the archives has disappeared to," Slade smirked as he studied the gift.

"The books are well looked after and will be returned," Robin admitted. "Was it worth the risk of stealing them?"

"Very much so. She is clearly very talented. I like it a lot. Thank you."

Robin's heart sped up for an instant as the man thanked him. The smile seemed much too warm and real, making his own body heat up as well.

"Y-you're welcome," Robin said and sat down quickly.

* * *

Robin hadn't really expected any presents, since no one had known that he was going to be there until just a few days ago. He still ended up with quite a pile however, mostly thanks to Rebecca, who claimed that she was making up for last year when they hadn't exchanged gifts.

He got some very nice dressing shirts, a very much home knitted scarf in black and blue which he instantly fell in love with, several new batteries for his phone, which he had taken the time to pick up yesterday, as well as a large selection of books in all kinds of genres.

When it came to Slade's gift Robin opened it almost suspiciously, unrolling the paper from the foot-long, cylinder-shaped parcel. He need not have feared something inappropriate, however, and his eyes widened when he saw what it was.

"Slade-!"

"I thought you might miss one."

"Yes! I've tried to find something to replace it with, but-" Robin extended his brand new bo-staff. It was even lighter than his old ones, the material a new form of metal alloy, perhaps, and Robin knew that if it was from Slade, it would hold through anything. The man didn't skimp on quality.

"Wow, thank you!" Robin almost wished he could hug the man, but of course, he couldn't. One did not hug the enemy. Unless one was named John.

"I'm hoping, however, that it will be seldom used. At least outside of sparring," the man added.

"Me too," Robin nodded solemnly, thinking about the meaning of the fact that the man had given him a weapon. Robin was Slade's enemy too, after all. Did this mean that the man really thought the truce-plans could work? Robin hoped so. He didn't mind fighting himself bloody for justice, but if there was another way, a way which wouldn't make people suffer, he would have to take it, especially since he was responsible for those people.

This wasn't Jump. He would never bargain with the villains back there, but, then again, even if he considered Jump his city, he wasn't the citizen's leader; they didn't depend on him like the Mongrels had started to do. Sometimes, in his darker moments, he almost regretted accepting the role as leader once again, but, he suspected, Slade would attack them either way, at least now, even though he had more responsibility on his shoulders, he also had more opportunity to make a difference.

The last thing Robin opened was another present from Rebecca; a family photo of the Wintergreen's and their respective loves… even Slade was in the picture, only looking slightly disgruntled.

"I'd really wish you were in it too, Robin… Maybe we could take another one?" the woman said.

Robin shot Slade a 'help me' glance but never expected the man to actually do anything. He was surprised, though.

"As much as we would all like that, as we are in negotiations at the moment, I don't think it would be a good idea. If the image would leak out, Robin's sympathies might be questioned by his people, and we don't want that," Slade said.

"No, we really don't… later, perhaps?" Robin said and gave the man a grateful smile. Slade was being more than a little agreeable today. Robin decided to blame it on the holiday and tried not to be too paranoid.

* * *

Slade smiled. It was so easy, right now, to give the young man little treats. Before long he would have Robin eating out of his hand again, trusting him completely. The boy could have his little Mongrels; that, Slade had found, didn't bother him; on the contrary, it was great practice for the teen. Robin would, sooner or later, join him, he was sure of it, but for now, the little bird just needed to learn where his allegiances really should lie.

The man didn't expect it to happen overnight, and he hadn't planned on treating Robin too softly; no, he had to show him who was in charge and simply make him accept it, but to do that he needed to get past the teen's guard, and pretending to be on his side couldn't hurt.

* * *

Breakfast had everything Robin could think of on it, and then some. It was set up as a buffet and he soon found his plate too small. He just wanted to try everything… from the three types of porridge, to the cold cuts, to the hot fried food, to the different kinds of bread, including toast, to the pancakes and waffles. The amount and variety was insane, and for a moment Robin felt guilty. He knew his people had received the food-baskets and were most likely enjoying the best meals they had in a very long time, but he still wished he could share this as well.

Afterwards he found that he, of course, had managed to eat way too much. He just glared at Slade when the man suggesting a sparring-session and, as they had came to the man's apartment, Robin sank down onto the couch and decided not to move for a while. He did remember something, however, which he needed to tell Slade, and, hopefully, the man was in a good enough mood.

"Slade, I need to leave tomorrow."

"Are you forgetting our agreement?"

The man had tensed and Robin groaned on the inside. This might not be as easy as he had hoped.

"No, I haven't, and it's not for too long, but we decided there ought to be a council meeting as soon as possible and decided on tomorrow."

"I don't see the need for one." Slade's voice was cold and not very inviting at all.

_Of course you don't…_ Robin snorted to himself.

"There are so many things that we need to start working on, like clearing rubble and making up schedules and plans… not to mention that list you wanted of every Mongrel. You said you wanted it ASAP, and it will take a while… I'm not leaving to have _fun_, Slade, I'm leaving to _work_… and I'll be back by evening."

The man studied him with an intense look, which made Robin wonder if he would have confessed if he was, in fact, leaving for another purpose. He almost suspected he would.

"You will be back at midnight, at the latest."

"Yes. '_dad_'," Robin snorted.

"Don't be cheeky, I have given you too much for you to be anything else than grateful. If you disrespect my boundaries, I will see no reason to respect yours."

"Fine! I'll be back in time," Robin growled.

"Good. You can't really believe that I am expecting too much from you, can you? With Amanda and little Rose being alive?"

Robin hung his head a little.

"No. Sorry," he forced out.

"Apology accepted… Now, we were talking about family before… I sent William down to the archives the other day, and he found quite a bit of material about yours… I thought you might want to look through it, and maybe keep some?" Slade pointed to several large boxes which Robin hadn't discovered before now.

"W-what is it?" Robin asked as he got off the couch. He was almost afraid. Did he really want all those memories to come back?

"Newspaper-cuttings, photographs, fan-collections, things like that," Slade told him. "I didn't want to give you this in front of the others, because I can imagine it might be quite emotional. If you want me to leave, I will."

"No, no, you can stay…" Robin mumbled and lifted the lid off the first box.

* * *

Slade watched the teen with the glee of a fisherman who has just discovered that his fishing-rod has bent. The collection in the boxes had been very carefully chosen. It would awaken very emotional memories, he was sure, but all the negative things the newspapers had written, the disturbing fan mail and everything considering the brotherhood had been carefully removed. There were a few pictures of himself, even a few of him and Robin fighting, which a paparazzi had been lucky to snap at one point. Slade didn't think Robin would consider those bad memories, however, something which might surprise the boy if he thought it over.

He had asked if he should leave at once, knowing Robin's pride would make him say no and that the teen wouldn't be able to ask him once the trip down memory lane had started. Slade sat down on the floor next to where Robin had placed himself and leaned back against the wall, wholly intent on enjoying the ride.

* * *

The day passed in a blur. Robin thought they had a light snack-like lunch somewhere in the middle, but couldn't quite remember… He had tried to keep his tears hidden at first, but there was no use. They were mixed with laughter, though, as more and more of their strange escapades came to the surface. Slade answered all of the questions he had had back then, about how and why he had done certain things, and offered some very dry comments on everything from Beast Boy winning a local pie-eating contest to someone drawing graffiti on the T-car when it was parked outside the mall, almost driving poor Cyborg insane.

Suddenly he was holding a photo of Slade and found himself staring at it. The armor. The colors. Apart from the 'S'-insignia, which appeared here and there even now, he couldn't really understand that it was the same man. Robin glanced up at him and felt… strange. He had known nothing about the man back then, and now he had even slept with him… he knew him better than he thought anyone aside from William Wintergreen the first had done, and still the man was as much of a mystery as ever. Slade was one of those unsolvable enigmas, Robin thought, someone who could never be completely understood or controlled, which, of course, made him dangerous. But also interesting.

"Do I have something on my face?" the enigma suddenly asked, and Robin blushed as he realized that he had been staring.

"Um, just thinking," he claimed and flipped to the next article.

The things about Batman almost hurt the most, especially one report from a Bruce Wayne party, where Alfred could be seen in the background. Robin almost couldn't go on after that. Somehow he did, though, and when he looked up, half the room was covered in articles and photos, and it was almost time for Liberation Day dinner.

"There's time for a bath, you seem like you could use one," Slade told him.

"Yeah. Promise not to walk in on me?" Robin grinned weakly.

"You know I can't promise anything like that…" Slade grinned back. "William should have put together something for you to wear, but it's only a suggestion, chose what you want. Oh. Damn."

"What?" Robin asked worriedly.

"I didn't know about your plans for tomorrow, so I asked William to have your uniform washed… It probably won't be ready until later tomorrow."

"That's alright, I appreciate it. I'll wear something else to the meeting," Robin shrugged.

"Good. Well, take your time in the bath, we won't eat yet for almost another two hours. Come back when you are ready."

Robin nodded. He felt a bit doubtful about Slade taking charge of his things and giving orders, but he guessed he had to accept it… it could, after all, be a lot worse.

* * *

Dinner was just as amazing as breakfast had been, the turkey again cooked to perfection. Robin felt slightly more at ease this time, like he was a guest more than some kind of coerced family member… or pet.

He went to bed early that night, gently turning down the offer to come to the party, since, as he claimed, that hadn't ended too well last year… although, Robin had to admit, it had ended well for _him_.

* * *

Slade watched Robin leave before breakfast the next morning, using the grapple-hook which the boy had managed to strengthen during his stay at the Mongrels. Slade entertained the thought of giving him some new ones, but shook his head. He didn't want to encourage that kind of life _too _much, after all. He turned from the window and towards his desk. It was Monday and time to get to work. He glanced at his present, which he had placed there the night before and smirked. Yes, he knew the feeling.

He treated himself to one last glance out the window but his bird was gone. He wouldn't be home for many hours yet, and Slade found himself wondering if the teen would honor the curfew.

* * *

Robin closed his eyes for just a second. It was late, he knew, and they had been discussing different topics all day.

"What do you mean he wants a list?" one council member asked, his face red with indignation. "I've never heard of such a thing!"

"Well what about; 'In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered,'" Robin sighed, but got blank stares in reply. Ah. Quoting the Bible in front of people who had barely heard of it, might not be very fruitful. Not that he knew many bible-quotes; he just remembered this because it had been one of his lines in a Christmas-pageant when he was little. "Sorry, never mind. Well, yes, he does. I know it won't be popular, but the way I see it-"

The discussion carried on. Suddenly Robin glanced at his watch.

"Fuck! Eleven-thirty, I won't make it back in time!"

"He controls how long our meeting is?" an irritable, snide voice asked.

Robin sighed. Everyone was tired and too much was happening at once, too many important decisions. He couldn't let them think that Slade ruled his life at a time like this, and the meeting was more important than being a little late.

"No, of course not. Let's continue," he said.

Meetings sometimes dragged on, Slade would understand. No big deal. Right?

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: well, some of you might have noticed that I didn't mention any of the council-members by name. As with Slade's board-members, they are just a bunch of OC's not worth wasting names on, at least not yet… I wouldn't want you to try to remember like thirty new names, after all! ;)

Please review?


	7. Boundaries

A/N: this chapter was written by the wonderful **Tinclay**! Well, okay, it was written by me, but most of it was based on one of her superb, evil, yummy ideas…Even some of the dialogue! I just hope I made some of those ideas justice, and I'm very, VERY nervous about what she will think… the rest of you? Nah, I don't give a crap. –grin- KIDDING! I hope you will like it too, of course! Please read and review (because the other way around is just silly, really…)!

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* * *

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2061

**Boundaries**

Robin returned to the Empire State Building at a bit past two in the morning. He was let into the lobby and escorted to the elevator without any problems, something he was grateful for, since he was tired beyond belief. He shuffled into the elevator, hoping that security wouldn't alert Slade. The day had been tough, but things had been put in motion and seemed to be working out, and he really didn't need to end the day with a stupid argument about curfews. He preferred to start the next morning with one instead.

* * *

The elevator door opened and Robin dragged himself out, setting the course for what he had come to think of as 'his' room. No lamps were lit, and he didn't bother trying to find a switch, since the windows provided enough light to navigate by.

"You're late."

The teen spun on his heel and looked around, but he still didn't see Slade until the man moved.

"Yeah… long meeting. Sorry," he shrugged, trying to hide the fact that the man had startled him.

"I'm not sure that 'sorry' is quite enough, Robin." Slade slowly closed in on him, and Robin felt his heart speeding up.

"What? It was just a meeting!" he decided to attack instead of backing down. "You know how those go!"

"And so do you. And this one had a time-limit."

"Oh, come off it, Slade, I'm back aren't I? I didn't even stay the night, and I was _very_ tempted to! I'm going to bed now." Robin turned around, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"I don't think you will," the man said in an eerily calm voice.

"Let me go!" The teen wanted to lash out, but held himself in check. His heart was beating like a rabbit's now. He didn't like the look in the man's eye at all. Slade wasn't yelling, however… but was that good or bad? Robin seemed to recall that it was usually bad.

"You betrayed my trust. I hope you understand that you need to be punished?" the man asked sternly.

"Punished, my ass!" Robin snarled and pulled himself free, only to be able to face the man straight on. "I'm here as a negotiator, Slade, an _ambassador_! You have _no_ right to punish me, I don't belong to you! Not anymore!"

The man narrowed his eye and then chuckled softly.

"You are absolutely right, Robin."

"I am?" The words escaped the surprised teen's mouth before he could stop them.

"Yes. Of course. We are in negotiations. You have broken a commitment that was a part of those negotiations, though; I hope you can admit that much?"

Robin hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

"Good," the man continued. "We are on the same page. Well, as you broke our deal, without even making a phone-call to negotiate _new_ conditions-" Slade paused while this mistake sank in, "I should, as negotiations go, withdraw one of my own offers… Maybe one connected to yours… so… the child or the woman? Or both?"

"No!" Robin snarled. He felt incredibly stupid for having forgotten that he had a phone and could have, if nothing else, called for a ride, but after being without one for a year, living in a society where they didn't exist, his mind had just not gone there when it was looking for a solution.

"No? But I _have_ to. I can't keep being this generous to you, Robin, not when you can't even keep_ one_ little promise to _me_… I even offered you to take the punishment for your own mistake, but-"

"Okay!" Robin barked out.

"Okay, what?" Slade asked smoothly.

"I'll… I'll take the punishment, all right?" Robin growled. He remembered when he had 'escaped' to Rebecca so long ago. He had been absent without permission then as well, and the pain he had received from it had been brutal. He wondered if he could expect as much this time, and shivered.

"How noble. Are you sure?" the man asked, like Robin had a choice.

"Yes," the hero grunted.

"Very well, turn around."

"Why?" Robin's heart did another double flip.

"Truly submitting to a punishment means asking no questions or resisting," Slade pointed out smugly. "Would you like to change your mind? This is your last chance. No? Then turn around."

Robin did, trying to glance at the man behind him. He had no idea what Slade had planned to do here in the middle of the reception-area, but whatever it was, the teen was pretty sure he wouldn't like it.

"Eyes forward," Slade ordered.

Robin frowned at the wall instead. He heard metal clinking and then something sliding against fabric. He knew that sound. Slade was removing his belt.

Robin couldn't hide another shiver. How many strikes would he get this time?

* * *

Slade saw the boy tremble and grinned. What he was going to do was maybe to tempt the fates, but he didn't care. Robin had no choice but to agree. Besides… he had been patient enough. He grabbed the teen's arms roughly and bent them behind his back, delighting in the startled little sound that slipped out of his former pet. He wound his thin belt around the teen's wrists and fastened it tightly.

"What- what the hell, Slade!" the little 'ambassador' yelped as Slade then proceeded to drag him into the man's apartment.

Slade swung him around and grabbed Robin's throat with one hand, squeezing just hard enough to make sure he had the teen's _full_ attention.

"I told you yesterday, Robin; 'If you disrespect my boundaries, I will see no reason to respect yours'. But you _had_ to test me, didn't you? I'm disappointed in you. Very disappointed. But you will make it up to me." With one hard push the teen's knees hit the floor with a thump. "And I think you know how."

* * *

Robin glared up at the man, the pain in his knees and the need to gasp for air clouding his mind for a moment. Then reality hit him.

"No!"

"That's not an option, and you know it," Slade smirked down at him and started to open his fly.

"You… you can't make me! Not for being _late_! Listen, Slade I'll make it up to you, okay? Some other way… I'll… I'll do some work for you, or… or…"

"You will do some work for me alright… and you will be _very_ dedicated… or two Mongrels won't wake up tomorrow morning."

A pair of blue eyes tried very hard to burn a hole through the man.

"A spanking would-" the hero tried.

"Not be enough," Slade cut him off and reached into his pants, releasing a rapidly hardening cock.

Robin stared, asking himself if it really had been that big a year ago.

"This is not a spectator-show, it's a tasting trial," the man smirked and brushed the leaking tip over Robin's mouth.

The teen made a face and quickly turned his head away.

"Awww… don't be like that, Robin… don't make John sad…" Slade chuckled darkly.

Robin slowly turned his head back and parted his lips. What else could he do, he asked himself. In a way, he guessed, Slade was right. He had broken a rule, risked the whole negotiation. Had this been a deal between two countries it might have meant war. Being allowed to take the blame himself, without it affecting the deals he had made, _was _actually a good offer… but he still didn't like that it involved having Slade's cock in his mouth.

The head, slimy with salty pre-cum. pushed against his teeth, forcing him to open his mouth wider and let it in. Robin closed his eyes, but Slade's hand grabbed his hair at once.

"You will look at me. I want you to beg my forgiveness with every part of your being… and you will, of course, swallow. Now, stop stalling, my little bird… you know I deserve this."

Robin growled quietly but leaned forward. It was difficult, balancing on his knees at the right height, not being able to support himself with his hands, or try to control Slade's movements. All he could do was close his lips around the shaft and hope the man wouldn't fuck his throat raw.

To avoid having to deep-throat, Robin decided to be creative. He licked, nipped and teased the length as much as he could, only to suck the tip in and bob his head quickly a few times, hoping to coax Slade over the edge early.

The man was resistant, however, and merely smirked whenever Robin glanced up at him. If no other lives had been at stake, the teen would have bitten down at that moment, and he would have bitten _hard_.

He drew back a little bit and blew on the tip, teasing it with the rush of cold air. Then he bent forwards again and flicked his tongue over the slit, making it weep heavily before letting as much as he could of the cock into his mouth yet again. He sucked until his jaws hurt and his eyes teared up, but it wasn't until he looked up pleadingly on the man that Slade, finally, decided that Robin had done well enough to deserve his 'treat'.

Slade's hand closed in his hair and the man started fucking his mouth with deep thrusts. Robin squirmed, trying to get away from the rough, choking treatment, but Slade's grip wouldn't let him move. He didn't get much of a warning, except that the man tensed, and then his mouth flooded with slimy, salty cum. Robin wished he could spit it out, but instead swallowed his punishment in gulps, gasping for air as the man withdrew.

"Clean me up," Slade ordered.

Robin, on the verge of breaking because of the pain in his throat, his very wounded pride and the lack of air, did as he was told. When he had licked the cock all over, until it was half hard again, Slade seemed content and walked away.

Robin slumped on the floor, so very, very tired, but glad it was over.

"Come here," Slade called. Robin stood up on weak legs and looked up toward the bedroom of the apartment. Slade had undressed completely and was now stretched out on the bed, his cock as hard as if he had never climaxed. "Come, Robin… you're not done yet."

"What? I just sucked you off, you bastard! Untie me and let me go!"

"No. I don't think you have learned your lesson yet, and, more importantly, I don't feel I have been compensated enough."

Robin couldn't remember feeling so frustrated and helpless in a long, long time. He fought back the burning in his eyes and slowly walked up to the resting man. Slade lazily reached out for the hem of Robin's trousers and pulled the teen all the way up to the edge of the bed.

"So, what do you want?" Robin growled.

The man didn't answer, only glanced up at him with a smirk before sitting up and undoing the front button on the teen's jeans. Robin huffed. He had had a feeling… he yelped as Slade suddenly ripped the front of the jeans apart, splitting the seams like he was ripping paper.

"No boots in bed, pet," the man said and Robin, who got the not-so-subtle hint, managed to kick them off, along with the remains of the jeans.

Standing in front of Slade in only a t-shirt and underwear, the teen felt an unexpected tingle up his spine. He was about to have sex again for the first time in over a year, and a very small, primal, part of him, was excited. Living as a Mongrel he had rarely had the opportunity or the energy to even jack off, and he had instead just repressed his sexual urges completely. They were starting to awaken now, no matter how much he didn't want them to.

_I can beat this! I'm strong enough. My BODY might have been his to play with before, but my MIND never was!_ Robin tried to convince himself and then sighed inwardly._ Oh, who am I kidding… my body was a bloody swing-set compared to the amusement park he made of my mind…_

"You are still somewhat overdressed," Slade said thoughtfully and grabbed the hero's t-shirt, ripping that into shreds as well, since Robin's hands were bound behind his back. The underwear was last, and the man seemed to savor pulling them down.

"Get on with it, I don't have all night!" Robin growled.

"But _I _have," the man claimed with another annoying smirk.

* * *

Slade was very proud of himself. He had given Robin so much freedom that he had just known the teen would take advantage of it sooner or later, and now Robin felt just enough guilt and fear to bend to his wishes. He had gotten it through to him that even this _punishment _was a gift, which was an accomplishment on its own.

Now, sex was, of course, not the main goal here, it was merely a tool, although a very pleasant one. He really _had_ been generous, after all, even before the negotiations started: letting Robin live with the Mongrels for a year… and letting _them_ live as well. He had done it all to benefit himself, naturally, and the boy had developed as he had hoped. He did prefer to keep him closer, however, and control his pleasure and urges as well.

Robin had not seemed completely averse to his previous advances, but Slade saw no real gain from actually _wooing _the teen. Not only would it take time, but it would also give Robin the impression that he held some sort of power over Slade, which was a ridiculous notion at best. No, this would work well as an 'icebreaker' and after this it wouldn't take too much convincing for the boy to come back to his bed, Slade was sure, no matter how much he glared at the moment.

* * *

Robin's boxer briefs landed on the floor. Slade stretched out on the bed again and seemed to admire the teen's naked, hairless body. Robin tried not to do the same thing back, although the man's shape all but begged him to. He jumped as a finger started tracing his abs, following a path down to his hip and then across to his groin, stroking along his length. Robin had to fight the urge to step back, out of reach, and grinded his teeth in the effort. He was soft, thank god, but not as soft as he would have liked.

Eventually Slade seemed to tire of just playing and patted the spot on the bed next to him.

"Come here."

Robin climbed onto the high bed awkwardly because of his hands, and kneeled next to the man who was now busy languidly slicking himself up with lube.

"Well, pet, I'm all ready for you… hop on," the man smirked and gestured to his cock.

Robin swallowed and felt his whole body tighten.

"I can't… I mean… I won't be able to…" he started reluctantly.

"Are you saying that _you _are not ready?" the man asked in a kind way that was so obviously faked.

Robin glared.

"Well, pet, you know what to ask for then, don't you?"

Robin glared harder.

"No?" Slade smirked. "Very well, if you don't think you'll need it…" he grabbed Robin's upper arms and dragged him toward him.

"Prepare me! Please?" the teen yelled out, almost in panic. There was no way he would be able to handle the man's girth after so long; Slade would rip him open, and at the same time, he had no doubt in his mind that the man _would_, just to prove his point. He would heal, after all, but the pain…

"As you ask so nicely… Straddle my lap… good boy…" the man chuckled, clearly enjoying this.

Robin found himself, a moment later, leaning so heavily against Slade's shoulder that he almost felt like he was a baby about to be burped, while he felt a finger pushing into him. He squirmed, the feeling was so familiar and strange at the same time. He tried to relax, hoping it would be over faster if he did, and wondered why the man seemed to go out of his way to humiliate him like this. It was a punishment, of course, but did Slade really have to be such a bastard about it?

_Of course he does…_ Robin thought dryly_. I KNEW he was being too nice…_

"Ah!" The second finger came as a surprise, and Robin took a deep breath. It didn't hurt, not in the sense of stabbing or tearing pain, it just felt uncomfortable, but he suspected that that feeling mainly depended on the person the fingers belonged to.

"Oh, you're doing so well…" the man told him and patted his ass with his free hand.

"Stop patronizing me you scumbag!" Robin hissed. "How low can you get? You needed to threaten the lives of my friends to get me to sleep with you?"

"And that's enough preparation, I think," the man said flatly and removed his fingers.

Robin bit his lip, cursing his stupidity, but he couldn't take it back now, he _wouldn't_. His anger loosened his tongue again.

"Why in such a hurry? You're just going to threaten them every time you're horny from now on, aren't you? You'll get to fuck me as much as you want!" he hissed and glared at the man as Slade had pushed him off his shoulder and into his lap.

"This is a punishment, Robin."

"You know what? I've actually _realized _that!" the teen said sarcastically.

"Obviously not. It means that as soon as this is over, your 'crime' has been forgiven. Unless you commit a new one, I will of course not threaten our deals in any way," Slade claimed calmly.

Robin narrowed his eyes.

"Say I believe you… what do I have to do now, then?"

"Ride me to orgasm."

"Fine." Robin took a deep breath and sat up on his knees before shuffling backwards. "A little help?" he muttered, cheeks flushing.

Once the teen felt the tip of the man's cock press against his opening, he did his best to relax again before pushing down. Without his hands to help him keep his balance and brace himself, the entry became very abrupt. To make matters worse, his knees slipped on the smooth sheets so he just kept sinking down on the length, until he was down to the root.

Robin was gasping for breath; the lack of control had frightened him, and the feeling of being so full again was too sudden. He fought to get a grip on himself however, as he dared to meet the man's glittering eye again.

"You better come_ fast_," Robin muttered.

"Me? It's _you_ who has to come, pet," Slade smirked. "The punishment won't be over until you do." At this the man lay back and folded his arms under his head. "Good luck."

Robin stared down at the man with wide eyes. How was he ever going to come? It just wasn't possible!

"I thought you were in a hurry?" Slade smirked up at him and pushed his hips up sharply, making Robin bounce and groan. "You better start moving then, little bird…"

The teen straightened, and again strived to find some kind of leverage. He raised himself up as much as he could, and then sank down again, half way. He was still tense, still expecting it to be more painful than it was, but after carefully moving up and down a few times he started to relax.

_Now, if I __only could get turned on too_, he sighed to himself. His cock had filled out a little more, and when he leaned back a bit, Slade's cock brushed his prostate. It helped, and Robin closed his eyes, focusing on that feeling as he started to move faster.

After a little while he was fully hard and his tip weeping, but it was all physical. He didn't_ feel_ very aroused, and he needed to if he was going to push himself over the edge quicker. He needed to_ want_ it. He also needed to be able to move better. He strained his wrists against the belt around them, hoping to pull them free, but Slade had known what he was doing. He gave up trying to free himself and continued moving.

By squeezing the man's hips with his knees, Robin was able to sit up high enough to only let the first half of the man's cock into his body, making the tip rub past his prostate with every movement. The position was tiring, however, and more and more often he slipped, sinking all the way down on the cock again. He bit his lip and continued to work until his skin was shining with sweat and he was panting hard. He was almost there; it was good; it _felt _good, but just not _enough_.

"Untie me, Slade… I… I can't…"

"And make it easy for you? I don't think so," the man leered.

Robin couldn't stop a whimper. His need had risen during the last couple of minutes, and he felt himself getting closer, but he was also exhausted, and couldn't seem to find the energy for that last push over the edge.

"T-touch me… I need-" Robin begged before stopping himself and biting his lip again. He didn't want to beg, not about _this_.

"Be polite, my pet… what's the magic word?"

"P…"

"Yes?"

"P… Please! Please touch me!" Robin cried out.

"Of course… how about on your thigh?" the man smirked, and ran his hands up the teen's straining, quivering legs.

Robin knew the man just meant to tease him, but the fact was that the touch felt electrifying on his skin, and sent flashes of pleasure through his body.

"AH… yes! Yes! Please… please, more, more!" Robin cried and moved faster, eagerly riding the whole length of the cock now. He didn't hear the man's amused chuckle, but he felt his hands traveling up over his thighs and sides, staying clear of his groin all together.

"I wonder if I can make you come like this?" the man seemed to ask himself, as he reached up and let his fingers circle Robin's nipples.

"MMmmm… yeah… yeah… ah, yes, right… there…" the teen gasped, his aching nipples hardening even more under the feathery touches.

"Cumming from just getting your pussy fucked and nipples touched? You are such a little eager slut, aren't you?" the man purred.

"Yes! Oh, yes, I… so close!" Robin panted, not even hearing the man properly, but eager to agree with everything at the moment.

Slade's fingers suddenly closed on the straining pink buds, pinching them hard.

Robin's vision went white as his mind and body seemed to explode at once. He cried out, hardly aware of being rolled over and fucked hard until Slade filled him with his seed, the teen's body wracked by what seemed like orgasm after orgasm, until everything died down and his ears were filled by nothing but his own heartbeat and ragged breaths.

Robin barely felt Slade's cock slip out of him, his exhaustion too great for him to do anything else than close his eyes and fall into an almost unconsciousness-like sleep.

* * *

The room was bright when he woke up, and the teen knew it was late in the morning. He moved stiffly, grimacing as he felt himself sticky with sweat and cum.

He expected Slade's voice, saying something condescending, but the room was quiet, and, as he managed to roll over and look around, he found the apartment empty.

He spotted a note on the bedside table and frowned.

'I expect you in my office when you are ready. /S'

"Yeah, what if I'm not ready for a few years or so?" Robin muttered to himself, but reluctantly rolled out of bed. He saw a pile of clothes on the chair next to the bed, which were obviously for him, but he needed a shower first. Badly.

He staggered into Slade's bathroom and turned the water to the hottest setting.

He used more than half a bottle of soap in order to feel cleaner and almost as much shampoo. He smelled. Of sex and of Slade. He preferred his slightly iffy Mongrel smell to this, he tried to convince himself, and became distress, almost offended, as he, when his fingers brushed his entrance in cleaning, felt a jolt of pleasure. He had all but craved Slade once, and he didn't want to go down that path again. His stupid libido might have him pegged as a Slade-o-holic, but Robin would fight it every step of the way. At least he tried to tell himself as much.

* * *

He entered the office, prepared for the smirk and the comments. All he got, however, was a quick look as Slade raised his head and then gestured to a chair as the man continued to talk on the phone.

"Excuse me for a moment," the man told whoever he was speaking to and looked up at Robin properly. "I actually expected you to sleep a bit longer. Are you ready to continue working?"

Robin nodded, a bit confused about the lack of smugness.

"Good, then tell William to get us some brunch while I finish the call, will you?"

Robin nodded mutely again and got to his feet.

When he returned Slade was done, and was putting some files to the side.

"I thought we'd better start with getting the agreements we have made down on paper, just to make sure there will be no misunderstandings later, don't you agree?"

"I… yes?" Robin said.

"Good, well about the land, we have already established the boundaries on the map, but I suggest we get people out there to mark the area out properly to avoid any arguments. Do any of your people know how to read a map properly? I could send one of the city planners out with them, to-"

"Um… Slade?" Robin interrupted.

"Yes?" the man looked up after scribbling some things on a piece of paper.

"About last night…" Robin started. He really didn't want to make things worse, but the fact that the man was simply_ ignoring_ the whole thing irked him.

"I suppose you are talking about the punishment?"

"Yeah… I was only _late_, Slade!"

"So I seem to remember you saying, yes." The man looked at him blankly before suddenly giving him the grin Robin had been expected before. "Come on, Robin… you broke a rule. You couldn't expect me not to take advantage of that! I'm a bastard, as you like to remind me… If I can_ literally_ fuck you over, I will."

"So what, next time I don't eat my vegetables or something, I can expect to find myself on my knees?" Robin snorted.

"If we both have _agreed_ on that you must eat your vegetables, then yes, of course. But I can't really see your diet being a part of the treaty…"

"Remind me not to agree with you on anything else, then," Robin muttered.

"Might make our further negotiations somewhat complicated…" the man smirked.

"Right…" Robin muttered. "Well, as long as I'm only punished if I break another agreement…" he sighed.

"Well, I also expect you to be somewhat civil," Slade told him.

"I'd better just walk around buck naked then," Robin snorted. "I'll agree to be civil to you in the company of your board members, just as we have discussed before, and I'll try not to call you an asshole too many times a day in private, but that's as far as I'm willing to go."

"I see…" Slade looked amused.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna be afraid to argue with you, I have people to defend!" The teen crossed his arms. "And I, sometimes, tend to lose just a little bit of control when I'm angry."

"Sometimes? A little bit?" The man grinned wider. "Very well, I guess life with you behaving perfectly would be a bit too boring… But don't break another agreement or cross the line again, little bird."

"Trust me. I'll really try not to," Robin muttered.

"As always, you are welcome in my bed anyway, of course," the man offered generously.

"Oh, thank you. I'm so happy now," Robin said dryly.

"I aim to please," Slade purred.

"Yeah?" Robin smirked. "Pity you tend to miss…"

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: I'm taking a little break to work harder on Black Sheep and the kitty M-preg, so I didn't wanna leave you with a cliffy, nice huh? ; ) Please review and let me know if you have any more ideas about what might happen in this universe… Thanks again, **Tinclay**, for the ideas for this chapter!


	8. The Valentines Chapter

A/N: the last chapter was darkish, but this is the fluffy valentine's chapter, featuring… OC's? How far I've fallen… well… you know… But, as I've said from the beginning, I WOULD write a William/Duncan chapter and I kinda/sorta feel that they have deserved one.

This is basically PWP, but, on the other hand, the plot IS the fact that this is their first time, so… maybe it doesn't count as PWP? Lots of vitamins and lots of fun to write.

This is dedicated to** RikoJasmine** for her wonderful Will/Duncan pic on Deviant Art.

**

* * *

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2061

**The Valentines Chapter**

That morning William was at his desk as usual when Slade came out of his apartment.

"Good morning, Sir," the assistant said and then noted the big smirk on the man's face. "Did something good happen?"

"Quite," Slade's smirk widened even more as he stopped by the desk to collect the schedule for the day, along with some folders.

"Would you like me to wake Robin up?" Will asked and gestured to his old apartment.

"That won't be necessary; he will join me later."

"Yes, Sir," the blond answered and silently wondered why the man was being lenient today, and looking so smug about it too.

It wasn't until Slade had disappeared into his office that William remembered that Robin had gone to visit the Mongrels the day before. He knew about the curfew and hoped, for the teen's sake, that he hadn't broken it… but, on the other hand, if he had, Slade would look pissed, right? He also found himself hoping that Robin hadn't gotten hurt or anything like that, and briefly entertained the thought of checking up on him.

Deciding that listening to his boss was the right thing to do, however, especially when the man was in an odd mood, Will buried himself in his work instead. It wasn't until a few hours later, as Robin came out from _Slade's_ apartment, that he started to understand that smirk.

The teen didn't even as much as nod to him as he passed, and appeared to be almost in a mild shock -like state. He reappeared a moment later to order brunch, being brief and to the point, and then he was gone again. William sighed and shook his head. He had a pretty good idea about what might had happened during the night, and he hoped the young man would be alright. Robin had spirit and, though Will had watched it crack a few times during the hero's imprisonment the year before, the teen seemed to have a large supply of it. It would be a pity if Slade made it run out.

Slade's and Robin's relationship was a weird one. He knew his mother had this fluffy pink-tinted idea about them being soul mates or something, and, though William had witnessed enough to know that his mother was somewhat… maybe delusional was too kind a word… no matter… he still knew that there was _something_ connecting these two, and not only that they were from the same time. They had shared something even back then, something drawing them toward each other like magnets.

William sighed again. He was glad his and Duncan's relationship was so much easier, even though it had been an confusing experience for him, not only to live with someone but to be involved with a _man_. He grinned and glanced at a photo of said man on his desk. It was_ so_ worth every uncertainty and every blunder he had made, though. Duncan had been very patient with him after all… especially when it came to sex.

They had made love for the first time about two weeks after Robin's escape. It had been close that very Liberty Day, but the teen had managed to stumble right into them, and William had been more than a little annoyed at the time.

After Robin's escape things had been tense in the whole building for a while, as people tried to figure out who was going to die for messing up. Three of the guards had committed suicide. Slade, however, had been extraordinarily calm about the whole thing and, apart from more surveillance and new orders regarding the Mongrels, things started to fall back in the same routine once more… and then they had finally taken that step… William remembered it as if it was yesterday…

* * *

"Well, welcome to my place!" Duncan smiled brilliantly as he opened the door for them. It was a small apartment but well kept, apart from a work-section with a desk which was covered with papers ranging from huge charts to very small post-its. How the man could make sense of it William didn't know, but, on the other hand, Duncan was a genius, and this was how they worked, he supposed.

The younger man's intelligence had actually come as a surprise to Will. He knew Slade had appointed Duncan a board member for a _reason_, but it was somehow hard to picture an incredibly sharp mind under that 'cute as a puppy'-façade. To be fair, though, Duncan's genius lay mostly in chemistry, and he could be a complete airhead about other things, but it just made him so much more loveable… at least to William.

They had just watched a movie, a romantic film which ended in a shocking way as the ship the lovers were on sank. Duncan still had tearstains on his cheeks and Will had had to pretend to sneeze to wipe his own eyes. He should have guessed the ending from the first scenes, perhaps, but once he got into the story he had forgotten about that completely, and only vaguely wondered why the movie was named after the ship.

Well, afterwards Duncan had asked if he wanted to see his place, and William had decided that yes, he was indeed ready to 'see Duncan's place'.

"So, what do you think?" the brunette asked behind him.

"Very nice! The view is great!" Will answered, his voice somewhat higher than normal.

"You should see it from the bedroom…" his boyfriend giggled and caught his arm, dragging him toward the room in question.

Duncan had been somewhat… obvious, for a while. Not aggressive, as he seemed to sense that William wanted to take this slowly, but he had sent out clear 'I'm available'-signals.

This, though, was it. The night he was going to lose his virginity. Well, to a _man_. The blond didn't know if the fact that he had been with a few women should make him _more_ confident or _less_. Duncan knew the ropes though, better than he should, having grown up and worked in a brothel. The fact that the young man now kissing him had had many sexual partners, among them Slade and William's own father, was an issue Will had left behind him when he decided that they _were_, in fact, dating.

Now the uncertainties rushed back, however; how could he possibly measure up?

"Are you nervous?" Duncan asked, his large hazel eyes glittering.

"Somewhat… I'm a beginner, you know…" Will grinned. Cards on the table was the best way to go, he thought. Admitting he was nervous might just take the edge off.

"You'll be a pro in no-time…" his soon to-be lover smiled.

"I'm sure you are familiar with the first step?"

"I… I'm not sure?" William admitted.

"Clothes off."

"Oh, yeah, I knew _that_!" the blond grinned.

"Good, see we're getting somewhere? So?"

"So what?"

"Get to it."

William blushed and grinned sheepishly as he started to unbutton Duncan's shirt.

"Umm… tie?" the brunette reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, sorry!" Will apologized and then almost managed to strangle his boyfriend. "Sorry…sorry… never done this on someone else… it's just… opposite…" he babbled.

"Good," Duncan snickered. "I was afraid that you were into a bit more rougher stuff than I am…"

"No-no-no… I mean… I haven't really… I…"

"Shhh…" the younger man hushed. "Let's just make love?"

"Yeah… let's…" Will smiled and finally managed to take Duncan's shirt off completely, realizing that they had never actually gone this far before. Shirt's open, yes, and groping, but nothing else. He felt like he was skipping bases here but maybe there were more in gay sex. What about beating off together? Was that a base? Maybe if-

"Honey?" his partner said gently.

"Huh? Yes?"

"You are thinking too much… there won't be a test."

"Right… course not…" Will grinned weakly.

"Maybe an oral exam, though…" Duncan smirked, his greenish-brown eyes glittering. "I'll bet you'll get an A…"

"With you tutoring me, I might…" the blond smiled, feeling just slightly more at ease now. Duncan's body was truly beautiful. Slim and not exactly built, but you could see that he took care of it. A certain urgency suddenly came over the blond.

"Mmm… that's the look I want to see…" the younger man smiled. "Let's get you out of that shirt…"

The brunette, it turned out, was a pro at undressing people, and before he knew it Will was down to his boxers and was gently pushed down on the bed.

Duncan then undressed to his underwear as well, slowly and very sensuously, Will thought, but his libido screamed at the other man to hurry the hell up.

After crawling up on the bed, the chemist snuggled into Will's arms and they started kissing. Will was good at kissing, he thought, so this was an area he was comfortable with.

"You can touch me, you know…" Duncan purred.

Touch him… what the hell did that mean? Just like… hold him or go straight for the goal? What was the goal, anyway? William was sure he'd be the one to top, Duncan had hinted at that fact, but he couldn't just go for his butt, right? The front parts must be first on the list, surely?

"You are over thinking it again…" the little genius teased him.

"Umm… Sorry, I…" William gathered his courage and slipped his hands down to the man's groin, which was half hard, fighting against the flimsy fabric of the underwear.

"Whooa! That's strait to the point…" Duncan laughed.

"Sorry! I… that was wrong?"

"William… honey… pretend I'm a woman… would you have done that?"

"Are you crazy? She would have slapped me and kicked me out by now…" Will answered.

"So why did you do it now?"

"I… I mean, you're a _guy_, and…"

"Ah, so we should just focus on getting off? " the young man's voice wasn't reproachful, just questioning.

"No, I didn't mean it like that… just… tell me what to do?" Will begged.

Duncan relaxed back against the pillows and smiled warmly up at the other man who was only half lying down, supporting himself on a hand.

"Make _love_ to me."

Will blinked and then thought he understood. Smiling he bent down to kiss the man again, only to leave his lips after a little while to explore his neck instead.

"Yes… like that…" the brunette whispered quietly.

William found use for his hands as well, letting them play over the naked skin, reveling in what his fingers discovered. They soon met a nipple, and the blond noticed how it hardened and the way Duncan moaned softly, and came to the conclusion that these might be something that his lover would appreciate having Will touch. He had seldom considered his own nipples much… they tingled sometimes, and hardened, of course, but he had never thought of them as that _sensitive_. His former girlfriends hadn't acknowledged them either, so maybe he just didn't know better, he supposed. With Duncan, though, it seemed to be a different story.

As Will's lips reached the area he hesitated again. Kiss? Lick? Suck? Would Duncan object? He was deadly afraid of doing something which might give the brunette the impression that he thought he was a woman, even though Duncan had sort of said that it was okay.

He started kissing his way closer, and as he gathered up the courage to finally lick one of the nubs its owner cried out.

"What? Did it hurt?" Will asked worriedly, his head having snapped up at the sound.

"No, it felt good! Do it again!" his boyfriend moaned.

"Oh, good… I wondered if I should…" Will chuckled, a bit embarrassed.

"That's what you were doing? I wondered if it was some sort of nipple-torture to make me cum just from that…" Duncan laughed.

"What a wonderful idea…" Will grinned. "But I think I'd like to play with them instead."

"Oh, please do!" the other begged.

William did, marveling at all the different sounds he could make the younger male make. There were more to discover, though, and he moved down. All the way down, in fact, to the man's legs, because something had caught his attention.

"So smooth… you shave?" he asked, kissing a path up the smaller man's shin-bone.

"MMmmh… no, I'm a chemist…" Duncan smiled. "One of the first things I worked on was a way to easily and painlessly remove hair permanently… I hated shaving, and let's not start on waxing… but Mistr- I mean, Irena, required it and when I left there I was so used to it… I'm not hairless _everywhere_, though…" he added with a suggestive wink.

William returned the smirk.

"No I'm sure your back is like a rug," he grinned.

"Hey!"

"You deny it? Well, let's turn you over and check!" William chuckled and manhandled a squealing boyfriend over on his stomach. The blond felt more and more confident now and decided just to have fun.

"Well, I can't see any hair… but I better check closer…" he said and kissed Duncan's neck, only to continue with the shoulder blades and then kiss and lick his way down the spine while the brunette gasped and squirmed. "Well… no hair here… maybe you have a hairy ass then?" William wondered and started, slowly, in case Duncan wanted to object, to pull down his briefs. "No… nice and smooth… but I'm going to check closer again…" he kissed the pert, round globes, which were almost quivering, and moved down. "Hmmm…. no…. were you lying to me you little minx? Maybe the back of your legs?" William pulled the underwear with him as he moved down, and continued his kissing investigation, lapping at the crook of one knee, which made Duncan cry out. "I bet it's your feet... Do you have hairy feet, Dun? Don't lie to me…"

"No, I… ah! Damn that tickles!" the other male giggled, trying to pull his foot away.

"Yes well, that's what you deserve after lying to me about body-hair!" Will teased.

"I didn't, you just haven't found it yet!" Duncan laughed.

"Really? Now _where_ can you be hiding it? Turn over!"

Duncan did, and blushed cutely. It was clear that he had enjoyed the attention very much. William couldn't help but feel just a _little_ bit smug.

"Ahhh… I think I see it…" he chuckled and closed in. This was another issue all together. He liked what he saw, very much… much more so than with women, but even though he had one of his own he didn't quite know where to start.

"You're beautiful," he mumbled. Judging by the expression on Duncan's face, that wasn't a bad start at all.

He reached out and gently touched the weeping length, with just a couple of fingers at first, and then his whole hand. The hair he had been looking for consisted of a few neat light brown curls above it, there was not a trace anywhere else.

"Oh… oh, God, Will, that feels so good!" the brunette moaned. "Please… I… I know it's soon, but I… I need you!"

"You want me to…?" William got a bit nervous again, fortunately not enough to deflate the tent in his boxers.

"Yes… I need you in me," Duncan begged and then reached for a small bottle on his bedside table. Handing it to the blond he looked at him questioningly. "Do you think you… can prepare me?"

William knew that what Duncan was asking was if he was _comfortable_ with preparing him, and, though nervous as hell, he nodded. He had played a bit with himself in that area and was over the squick-factor by now, but he was nervous about hurting his partner.

He smeared the clear lubricant the bottle had contained onto his first finger and, while continuing to play with the younger man's cock, he slowly closed in on the puckered entrance. After finding it, rather quickly actually, he circled it, marveling at the texture. Was his own really this smooth?

"Are you ready?" he asked slowly.

"Oh, yes!" Duncan smiled. "It's… it's been a while though."

"Just tell me to stop if something feels bad, okay? I'm a beginner; you should feel lucky I'm not poking you in the ear right now."

As the brunette laughed William took the opportunity to push his finger in a little bit. He recognized the feeling of having his finger squeezed by a couple of tight rubber bands from playing with himself, and also the strange void-like space beyond. After glancing up at the other's face to make sure he was alright, Will pushed in a little further.

William knew about the prostate, he always did his research after all, but he had never been able to reach his own with his fingers, and he was a little bit hesitant about using anything else, so he wasn't sure if he would find it. He did. It was easy. Duncan's body jerked, though, and, again scared that it was from pain, Will pulled his finger out.

"Ow!" the brunette winced, this time definitely from being uncomfortable.

"Shit! Sorry!" Will exclaimed.

"Honey, what you were doing felt great, but there's a rule I want you to learn, okay?" Will nodded so eagerly his head almost fell off his neck, and the younger man chuckled softly before continuing. "Slowly in and slowly out. Once you're in me you don't have to worry too much, but when anything enters or leaves, things are a bit more... sensitive. Okay?"

"Okay… sorry… can I… try again?" the blond mumbled.

"I insist on it," Duncan smiled.

Soon William had three fingers inside his boyfriend who was becoming impatient once more.

"Need you…"

Will slicked himself up a bit clumsily and then tried to get into position. It was like he knew how the pieces would fit together, but he just couldn't arrange them correctly.

Duncan's legs were then over Will's shoulders.

"Ah…" the assistant mumbled at the revelation, making his partner giggle.

"There are many, _many _positions…"

"Okay… we'll try them all, right?" the blond grinned.

"Yes. But not_ tonight_," Duncan smiled. "Let's just focus on this one for now, alright?"

"Alright," William smiled back.

Entering the other's body was an experience William would never forget. His eyes widened and feeling his cock being squeezed hard before sinking into a heat unlike any other. It still felt like his length was held tightly by two fingers, which moved up and down his shaft as he moved. He wanted more and pushed in a little further. Duncan didn't seem to mind.

"You can move… I'm fine." the brunette smiled up at him.

William blinked. Wasn't that what he was doing? Could he move more? Faster? Surely not? He tried and groaned loudly from the sensation.

"Damn! This… I... won't… last," he almost whined.

"Then fuck me as hard as you can for as long as you can," the brunette suggested with a smile.

William did.

It wasn't that long.

As he almost collapsed on top of his lover the smaller man half grunted, half chuckled at being crushed, and soon they were resting in each other's arms.

"Oh, damn… did you…?" William suddenly asked and sat up, because he seemed to remember that he had been a little too focused on himself for the last minute or two.

"No, but I will… it's _my _turn to explore _you_, after all… I'll get you ready for another round," Duncan promised with a naughty grin.

"Dun?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

The younger man chuckled softly. "I love you too."

_The End_

* * *

I want to thank those who have been brave enough to send in things for my Valentine's challenge on Deviant Art! I will put a list up in my journal there tomorrow, so you can see all the contributions, and there's still time to be part of the challenge, just go read the prompt and then let me know where to find your stuff!

I hoped the "flash back" thing in this story didn't confuse you… I don't like to use that word (or his/hers POV's) unless I absolutely HAVE to, so I tried to make it obvious what was happening by using the standard "remembered it like it was yesterday"-line… I'm pretty sure you are all smart enough to catch on… ;) oh, and if not, you are probably rather annoyed with me now… ops… ;)


	9. Measuring Up

**A/N: **this is short, but probably will prove that size doesn't matter. –cough-

Oh, there's a t-shirt slogan-contest going on in the "Wynja's Tiny Ducklings" group on dA (see link on my bio-page). It's a very good opportunity for any of you to win Sladin art, drabbles and stuff, so please join the group and enter the competition! No art-skills needed!

* * *

**2061**

**Measuring Up**

"The road runs right through there, but it's hard to see because of the collapsed buildings." A city planner named Alan Miller pointed to a large stretch of rubble.

Robin nodded. He had insisted on being present as the Mongrel-representative when their new territory was going to be plotted out officially. Slade was here as well, of course, standing just slightly in the background, leaving the work up to his planner.

"So it's from this point and across to the park?" Robin clarified. It was easier just to mark things on a map and these people were being ridiculously meticulous.

"That's right, from the middle down the road," Alan nodded.

"Well, that's not very practical, is it?" Robin snorted. "Why not all the way to the other side of the road?"

"Not practical either," the City Planner said. "Consider when this area is rebuilt: if the border runs on the other side of the street it means that people won't be able to access the buildings that are on their side."

"Then don't rebuild them facing the street," Robin suggested. "And if it will be like that, how the hell are people supposed to drive? That's just silly, the borders aren't going to be that enforced in reality!"

"They are not?" Alan asked. "Well, that helps. I was about to suggest building a wall."

"No walls. History tells us walls are bad," Robin snorted.

"If you say so. Middle of the road?"

"Yeah, yeah, middle of the road! Have it your way…." the teen sighed getting a soft laugh in reply from the planner.

Robin grinned up at him. He liked the man, actually. He looked somewhat Italian, or perhaps like he had stepped out from a black-and-white fifties-move, with his black hair combed back, his strict but simple dark blue suit with the wide shoulders, and easy-going naturally flirty smile. A man who women probably swooned over. Robin was a bit swoony himself. It was all in the man's attitude, he thought… it was very professional yet easy-going. This guy wasn't afraid of arguing back, but he wasn't disrespectful either. He seemed to feel at ease around Slade, as much as anyone could, outside of the Wintergreen family, and he didn't turn to the man for approval either. And he had very warm, glittering, brown eyes.

Robin knew why he was thinking like this. After Slade's version of punishment a few nights ago, the teen had been plagued by dreams of the saucier kind. He couldn't deny that he had liked parts of the punishment, and it had left him with a very insistent itch… and not of the STD kind.

It all made it hard to focus on work. Robin hated himself for thinking about Slade that way, he thought it was weak and, to put it mildly; just sick. The craving didn't go away, however, and once, after Slade had only leaned over him, by accident or not didn't matter, to reach for a cup of coffee on a tray, Robin had had to excuse himself and go and jerk off in the bathroom. It was _that_ bad.

Then he had had an epiphany. It didn't _have_ to be Slade. Sure, before he had had some difficulty thinking of other men in that way, for some reason. He had told the former mercenary, on the first day of his return, that no one compared to him. It was true. When Robin looked at another man or teen he could see the beauty, the appeal, the sexiness, but they weren't _Slade_. It was only now he had begun to think that maybe they didn't _have_ to be. Did he really want a smug, possessive, bastard of a man? Wouldn't it be nice to be _made love_ to, for a change? For the first time, actually… Even when he was a bit gentler, Slade was still always about control and dominance, Robin knew that.

Robin glanced at Alan and sighed. Yes, it would be nice. Then something made him turn his head and look at Slade. The man's eye was slightly narrowed. Robin sighed again. Of course, if he _did_ go for another man, if only as much as flirted with him, it would be the same thing as signing the guy's death-sentence.

* * *

Slade had been watching his little bird closely and wasn't overly pleased with what he had seen. The man had considered to interfere in one way or another when the boy's attention turned back to him, where, as far as Slade was concerned, it always should be. The teen was actually quite attentive the rest of the morning, and Slade had to stifle a chuckle when it occurred to him that Robin had sensed the danger he, or rather Mr. Miller, was in.

Well, if the young man needed some distraction, Slade would provide some… and the boy wouldn't have any energy left to as much as _think_ of another man when he was done…

* * *

Robin was on all fours, panting heavily.

"Well… how was that?" Slade's voice asked behind him, slightly clipped from heavy breathing.

The teen let out a breathy chuckle and sank down on his elbows before simply rolling over on his back, still gasping, face flushed and his eyes shining of pleasure.

"That… was… _brilliant_. Can we do it again?"

"As soon as I get my breath back," the man chuckled. He was sitting, leaning back against the wall next to the Titan. "Don't stand up. The program is still running, it might take your head off."

"I'm not moving for a while…" Robin grinned. The grin was genuine and couldn't be helped. Slade had just re-introduced him to his in-house obstacle-course and, this time, they had forgone the lower settings. It had been intense, and the adrenaline rushing through him made him feel like yelling out with joy, like he was on some strange, drug-induced high. They were in one of the corners of the gigantic room now, a 'safe-spot' where the game, if one could call it that, could be either stopped or reprogrammed. This had been their goal this time, and they had been forced to work together to be able to reach it, something Slade had explained from the start. Robin hadn't been too keen on a 'two player' game like this, he was more interested in trying to beat the man, but, in the end, with lasers, bullets and tipping buildings all around him, he had enjoyed himself tremendously. One bullet had grazed his leg, but the suit had protected him. Even without it, Robin's newly strengthened healing abilities would have restored him in less than a minute, as the wound would have been minor.

"I wonder _how_ tired you are…" the man next to him purred, and Robin saw him move slowly closer.

One thing about Robin was both his greatest weakness and one of his greatest strengths: he was an adrenaline-junkie. It was in his blood, passed down from his parents and cultivated by Batman until he, mostly unconsciously, did what he could to seek out his next hit, and he had just been hit _hard_. The thing was, though, that after a peak, there was always a decent, and he hated coming down. He needed another hit. Now. And Slade seemed to be willing to offer one.

Robin grabbed the man's neck and pulled him down until their lips met. He nipped, lapped, sucked and prodded, dominating the kiss for a full minute before Slade took over. Later the man would figure out that this was where he went wrong. If he had left Robin to his own devices, the teen might not have awoken from his hormone-induced state unit it was too late, but as soon as Slade forced him into a new pattern of movement, he tensed.

The fingers around the man's neck changed position and clenched around the hair on the back of his head instead, and pulled back. A hand smashing into Slade's shoulder also helped.

"Get up!" Robin hissed as soon as he got his lips free.

"Can't. I'll get my head shot off," Slade reminded him.

"Lovely thought! Stay on top of me, and you'll get your balls _kicked_ off," the young man informed him.

"You are very boring to play with…" Slade muttered as he drew back.

"Yeah, well, you were very _fun _until you decided to jump me," Robin admitted. He had calmed down quickly as soon as the tyrant had backed down.

"You did a lot of that jumping yourself. Can't blame me for taking an opportunity when it's offered to me."

"Yes I can. I'm difficult that way," Robin smirked. "Are you up for another game, or do you want to wait until all your blood drains out of your cock?"

"I wouldn't be up for it then, would I?" the man smirked.

"I have considered talking to Duncan about an impotence drug, but I'm afraid the rest of the world will suffer even worse if you suddenly can focus on other things…" the teen sighed.

"So you have decided to sacrifice yourself in order to distract me? I like it… I might let you distract me tonight."

"No."

"Ah, well, there was that city in Germany I needed to write up the extermination-orders for…" Slade shrugged. "Might as well get started on that, then."

"I'll…" Robin thought about what he could possibly make himself do to occupy the man's time, "… play chess with you."

"While sitting on my lap?"

"No."

"Strip-chess?"

"No."

"Just plain naked-from-the start-chess, then?"

"No."

"You have to give me something, or else it's just a night of whipping your ass on the board," Slade snorted. "Speaking about whipping your ass…?"

"No," Robin snorted. "But okay… if I don't win a single game, you can… kiss me."

"Well, that's just slightly more exciting than holding hands…" Slade smirked. "Not confident enough to make a_ real_ bet?"

"No," the teen admitted freely. "I've never played you before. A bigger bet would be foolish."

"I hate it when you're reasonable," Slade growled.

* * *

After the workout that afternoon Robin had spent almost an hour in the shower, and very little time actually really showering.

That night, they managed to play five games, mostly because the first three were embarrassingly short. Robin knew how to play, Bruce had taught him, but it had been a long time ago, and it took a while to get into the right frame of mind. That, and Slade was only in his sleeveless undershirt which was amazingly distracting. Oh, and there was a bit of wine.

The fourth round went better, and the fifth dragged on. In the end, Robin had to admit himself defeated, however, but it had been a good game. Slade seemed to approve as well, because the man had looked a bit irritated when he first had beaten the teen in five moves.

"Well, it's late. I'm gonna call it a night," Robin said and stood up.

"Not without paying up, I hope?" the man smirked and stood up as well.

"Right. Sure. But just a kiss, Slade! On the lips, no unnecessary groping." The hero expected the man to try something and argue that no details about the kiss had been settled, but he was surprised. Slade merely chuckled and pulled him close. The kiss might have lasted longer than Robin had intended, but when it ended it was still too soon.

"Well, run along. I'll see you tomorrow," the man said as he let a dazed bird go.

"Yeah… see you…" Robin mumbled and made his way to the door. He turned around in time to see Slade, who was walking up toward the bed, pull his undershirt off. The teen fled.

* * *

Back in his room Robin twisted and turned on the bed, trying very hard not to succumb to another self-abuse session. It was ridiculous to be this horny, and the teen thought about accusing Slade for putting something in the longevity drug, or maybe his food. He wouldn't have put it past him, except for one thing: Slade wouldn't want help. Robin firmly believed that the man, unless he was very desperate, wouldn't cheat like that. But that meant this was all _him_. All_ real_. Not good.

He tried to push the annoying dictator out of his mind and think about a certain brown-eyed smiling man for a while. It worked until things started to get personal, then the brown eyes were exchanged for one icy grey and the flirty smile for a smug smirk. Robin opened his eyes with a gasp and noticed that his hand had, all by itself, snuck down into his pajama-pants. He pulled it back out with an irritated snarl. It didn't want to go.

"This is just _stupid_!" the exasperated teen growled and got off the bed. He was going to end this right now.

* * *

A minute later the door to Slade's apartment slammed open, actually making the man jump slightly. He was on top of the covers in his boxers, busy reading reports in bed, a bad habit he had no interest in shaking, when Robin stormed in.

The man idly wondered what on earth he had done now, as he actually couldn't recall anything in particular, but there was little time to wonder before a certain nubile young man, in only pajama-pants, was straddling him.

"I'll let you know that I can sleep with anyone I want!" said young man hissed.

"Really?" Slade answered, as this was news to him.

"Yes, and you're the only one within fucking distance. Don't think that makes you special!" Robin growled. "Now do me!"

Slade, who had lived long enough to, mostly, learn from his mistakes, followed Robin's lead this time.

The teen ended up on his back, but didn't seem to mind. Instead he reached for the lube, knowing very well were it was, and Slade had barely pulled his own boxers down before he found his half-hard shaft being stroked and coated with the slippery gel. As Robin was doing a fantastic job, the man concentrated on the task of getting the teen's pants down, which was easy enough when the hero raised his hips. After that it was all down to business.

It was rough and slightly painful, at least for Slade, as Robin clawed his back. Another thing it was, was absolutely _amazing_. By the time Robin couldn't fathom ever getting horny again in his life, the sheets were soaked by sweat, cum and lube.

The teen rolled off the somewhat sticky surface and stood on shaky legs.

"Just what I needed. Good job," he mumbled and left.

Slade felt slightly cheap for a moment, but then decided he didn't care.

The End/To be continued…

* * *

A/N: What? It's the end of the drabble, but there will probably be more, so I'm just not sure what to put… ;)


	10. New Playmates

**A/N: **Hi!Oh, I know what it's like when stories aren't updated that often (even though this STILL counts as a drabble-collection… though it's clearly more of a sequel… yeah… shut up). Anyway, I know you kinda lose interest, because you can't quite remember what happened before and so on, BUT I'll try to update this more often now, as I don't have a real chaptered story, so would like to know if you are still reading and will look forward to updates, or if you'd rather I'd focus more on drabbles… so review and let me know, it doesn't have to say any more than "I'm reading" or something… ;)

On to iiiiit!

* * *

**2061**

**New Playmates**

Robin came to the breakfast table the next morning smiling somewhat smugly.

"Last night seemed to have agreed with you?" Slade commented as the teen sat down.

"Oh, yes, it was exactly what I needed, thank you," Robin grinned back before focusing on the breadbasket.

"Maybe a bit more of the same thing…?" the man suggested, not so subtly.

"Huh?" Robin looked up from the piece of toast he had selected. "Oh, no, thanks Slade, I'm good."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, really. I might let you know if that changes, though…" Robin smirked.

"Are you expecting me to _service_ you?" Slade said in a rather dangerous, flat tone.

"What? No… no, I didn't mean it like that. If you're not up for it, I'll hook up with someone else…" Robin shrugged.

Slade knew that if he stood up now and explained to the boy that he would, in fact, not even as much as see a _drawing_ of another man's cock for as long as he lived, Robin would react badly. The teen would also object to being chained to his bed, although that thought had occurred to the man as well. However, Slade battled his instincts for the sake of the small progress he had been making with the young man. It was not easy, however, and a silver butter-knife got bent completely out of shape in the man's fist.

Robin, on the other hand, had the time of his life. He felt _fantastic_. He didn't even_ care_ that he had done the nasty with Slade, because the result outweighed that by far… and teasing the man was very fun as well… within reason, of course, since he didn't want anyone to die. This might not have been the best time, though, since he needed to bring something up.

"Errmm… you know I'm leaving tomorrow, right? The week is up." He had promised to stay seven days in exchange for Slade sending Rose and the medical team to save John's wife and newborn, but he didn't plan on hanging around any longer than that. He had all the comforts in the world here, but he belonged with his Mongrels.

"Yes, yes, I know. You'll leave in the morning, I suppose? Do you want breakfast first? If not, you need to tell William to cancel it."

"Um… no, I'll have breakfast…" Robin said, vaguely wondering why the man was talking about practical things like that, instead of sulking about his departure.

"Fine. Well, we should plan in some meetings this afternoon, then, to make sure we are all on schedule."

"Yes, of course…" Robin nodded. He was a little worried about the lack of interest in Slade's voice. "Sure, that's… good… I' ll… have my phone, if you need m- want anything…"

"I know."

"And… you know… today, if you want to play another game of chess or something…?"

"No, we have a lot of work to do, I'm afraid. If you are finished, let's go straight to the office, shall we?" the man suggested.

Robin nodded and swallowed his sandwich more or less whole, in order to keep up. He was feeling increasingly flustered.

_What the hell am I doing? Slade is backing off, being professional, and here I am, trying to get him to PLAY with me? Oww… bad choice of words… I should be just as distant! On the other hand, why is he acting like this? Is he angry? Am I in danger? Wait, he… he DID have a good time last night, right? He's not… bored? I mean, he DID come on to me just before I turned him down, but… it could have just been an automatic thing… he might not have meant it… Fuck, if he's tired of me, he might just kill us all! But… no, be cool, Robin… I can't throw myself at him just because he's acting aloof, for God's sake!_ The teen took a calming breath as he was following the man into the office. He was sure everything would be just fine.

* * *

Slade wanted to chuckle out aloud, but that, of course, he couldn't and wouldn't do. After testing the waters and, as expected, gotten the cold shoulder, he had decided to use the same technique himself, and it had worked wonders in a matter of minutes. Robin was _used_ to being pursued, almost_ courted_ in a way, and when the man took that kind of attention away, the teen obviously didn't quite know how to deal with it.

_Good. Let him wonder…_ Slade smirked.

* * *

The day was intense; they wrote everything down, and discussed all the finer points until they were both as happy with them as they were going to get. Slade as a negotiator was as tough as ever, and, it might just be Robin's imagination, but he found the man even colder than usual. Not that the teen had tried to flirt to get his way, of course. He'd_ never_ do_ that_. Much. Yes, he was ashamed of himself, but he was also trying to tell himself that he negotiated for the sake of hundreds of people, and if a bit of lip-licking and suggestive stretching would help, then he'd try it. Today, however, it had no impact what so ever, as far as Robin could see, and it worried him. He knew that he was a good negotiator, but it was also beginning to become clear that he had, at least partly, relied on the fact that Slade had some sort of soft spot for him… without that, Robin was struggling to get his way in some cases.

"I'd like to get a few more cell-phones. I intend to give them to team-leaders among the Mongrels, and, as soon as I teach them how to use them, we would be able to coordinate our work better."

"You'd also be able to coordinate an _attack_," Slade pointed out. "The answer is no."

"No, but… Slade, we _wouldn't_!" Robin said. Not the strongest argument in the book, perhaps. "The phones would only be used to work towards our shared goals."

"If you agree that every call will be monitored, and tracking-devices placed in the phones, then I might let you have a few."

"With tracking-devices you will know where my most important group-leaders are…" Robin growled.

"Yes. Isn't it lovely?" the man smirked.

Robin thought things over. Communicating by sending runners with messages was really too slow for the massive projects they would soon start up. There would be teams clearing rubble, teams building, and teams starting to work on the fields in Central Park. How could he hope to stay on top of all that without being able to contact the leaders?

"Fine! We're not planning a revolution, Slade. I've lost enough people in my life."

"As long as you try to remember that…" the man nodded.

* * *

The last meeting of the day was a full board-meeting that Slade had called only that morning. They were there a bit earlier than everyone else and, for once, Robin got to see the others arrive, realizing that many of them had assistants who then disappeared before the actual meeting started. These people seemed to be running back and forth between the conference room, the copier and the coffee-machine and looked stressed to death. No wonder, the teen thought, as a woman got slapped so hard for spilling some coffee that she collapsed on the floor.

Robin was standing next to Slade, and glanced at him, wondering if he would dare to help the woman in any way. The man, however, was looking rather intently in another direction, where a young man with strawberry blond hair had just brought Irena some notes. The woman sent the youngster away and smirked at Slade as she walked up to him.

"Good afternoon , sir. He's quite a treat, isn't he?"

"Quite. New assistant?"

"Straight from the slave administration academy. Very cute. Very naïve. He wouldn't stop blushing at all for the first week, once he realized what we do for a living."

"Is he… contributing to the business?" the man asked with a small leer on his lips.

"On, no. How is he going to be able to focus on papers and numbers if I show him how much fun cocks and pussies can be? But, of course, if you like him, I can send him over?"

The man's pause was far too long for Robin's taste.

"Thank you," Slade finally said, "But not right now, I think."

"Something else then, perhaps? You know where to find me. I still think you should treat young Robin here to a threesome at least."

"What, you're not going to offer me a discount by myself?" Robin said, forcing a grin on his face.

"I'd like to offer you a_ job_?" the woman smiled.

"Well, if I tire of this one…" the teen chuckled.

"Or get fired…" Slade added with a cold smirk.

Irena chuckled and walked away.

"So…_ that's_ how it is… you see someone and have them sent to your bed?" Robin muttered quietly.

"Why not? They are only slaves after all," the man shrugged.

"You are as horrible as ever, aren't you?" the hero hissed.

"Thank you for noticing," Slade smirked.

It was difficult for Robin to act as if he was a loyal second-in-command in front of the board, but he let Slade do most of the talking, only making sure that the man stuck to what they had agreed on. When the meeting was over he had yet another stack of papers with notes to go through.

Robin sighed as he felt like he was surrounded and buried in papers and maps. He was in Slade's room at the moment, curled up on the couch, trying to make sure he knew about everything that was going to happen within the next weeks and trying to plan it. He sighed again, hoping dinner would be along soon.

"You don't have to do it yourself, you know. Delegate," Slade told him. "I have vast resources of people trained to plan these kinds of things."

"I _have_ to do it myself!" Robin objected. "The Mongrel's won't trust anyone else, and it would be insulting to send one of your people to boss them around and make all the decisions!"

"Then don't. Let the people work behind the scene and present their reports as your own."

"But, I-"

"What do you know about building-sites and logistics? Do you know how much concrete to order a day? When to do the electronics and plumbing? How many people it will take?"

"No," Robin admitted.

"My people do. Use them."

"Okay… okay, thanks. Can you pick some people out and set it up?"

"I'll call you in a few days with the details," Slade nodded.

It felt weird, to Robin, that he wouldn't be there the next day, even after such a short time. It felt even weirder that Slade didn't insist that he'd stay so 'he could meet' the people the man would pick out. It was almost unsettling.

"Good… Well, the clearing-work has started, at least..."

"Don't forget the name-lists," Slade reminded him. "The board wants to see them as well."

"I have people working on them already, they might even be done by now. Someone has to type them up, though, because they will be hand-written. Speaking of that, we need more writing-supplies and paper."

"I'll arrange it."

"Really? Not afraid we'll write revolutionary things?" Robin smirked.

"Hmmm… you're right. You'll get pink paper and crayons."

"We could still do it with those though?" Robin said, a bit puzzled.

"Yes, but it would look stupid."

The teen laughed, feeling a bit more at ease now that Slade at least had shown his sense of humor again.

"Why can't you just believe that I want to live in peace?" he asked the man.

"Oh, I believe you _do_… it's the_ rest_ of the three hundred and ninety-four people I don't trust."

"Not even baby Rose?"

"_Especially_ not her."

Robin snickered, but the man continued.

"I'm serious, Robin. When people gain a little, they soon want more. Yes, right now they might be grateful and focus on the bare necessities, but keep an eye on them, make sure you have many eyes and ears you can trust, because, boy, should there be an uprising, I will crush them all… and you will find that a glass-cage don't take that long to rebuild."

"I won't spy on my own people!" the teen snarled.

"Then you are a fool. But I'm looking forward to having you back within a few years or so."

Robin bit his tongue. The fact was that he had a feeling Slade might be right.

The man gave him a serious look.

"You are wondering if you can do it, aren't you? Leading a loyal group is one thing, but can you keep a rebellious group in check? Can you control them? Can you _punish_ them?"

"Why… why would I need to _punish _anyone? Nothing like that is going to happen!" Robin snorted, but his heart was beating a little harder.

"Why? When a small group threatens the lives of your whole community, and won't see reason? You will need to, trust me. But don't worry, Robin. I'll be here. I'll help you."

"I won't need any help!" the teen claimed.

"Still, when you come and ask me for it, I'll help. It might be years, it probably _will_ be, but it _will_ happen. Leaders are _always_ questioned… _challenged_. Learn how to put a stop to those things quickly. Don't show any weakness."

"I'm not you. I'll do things differently."

"I'll better order the glass, then…" the man smirked.

* * *

The next morning found Robin racing through the streets on a motorcycle. It had been a gift from Slade, but Robin had accepted it anyway. It would come in handy, and was easier to drive on the often rubble-filled streets than a car. It was a light and nimble thing and, since it was made after Slade had gained power, it wasn't any particular model, only Slade's insignia and a model number was stamped onto the frame, which was, Robin had to admit, surprisingly modest. He would have expected it to have 'Terminator' written all across the fuel tank or something, coming from Slade.

The teen secretly enjoyed driving without a helmet or safety-gear. He could afford to be an idiot after just having his healing abilities topped off. The bike was eerily quiet as it ran on electricity, but, he was happy to discover, this wasn't a sluggish vespa-like creature, this engine had serious power! Sometimes he wished that Slade's genius could have been put to better use back in his own time… Well, scratch 'sometimes'.

* * *

A few days later and Slade had not been in touch. Robin jumped when the phone rang early one morning, but it turned out to be William, letting him know that a small group of people with different specialties would be meeting with him that afternoon, if it was convenient. It was, Robin decided, and set off to see if there was any hot water for a quick shower.

Life out in the city was nothing like the luxury of the Empire State Building. The different groups of Mongrels tended to move around quite often, afraid that settling down would let Slade's troops find them more easily. Since the truce that had changed a bit, but Robin still noticed that his people were very uneasy about making it known which buildings were occupied; the windows were still mostly blacked out, there were never any toys or laundry outside, and the children, when playing in the streets, were being kept under close guard.

Robin had a room of his own, which indeed _was_ a luxury, since the few really habitable rooms were often shared. Robin wanted to be able to come and go as he pleased, however, and had opted for a small space in the cellar with a boarded up window and dodgy wiring. The only electric thing was a naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling, though, so it didn't much matter. His bed, which had always been bad, but, after spending time in Slade's, now seemed worse, consisted of different layers of cardboard and bits of carpet, topped off with two blankets. There used to only be one, but thanks to Rebecca and her resources, there had been enough so that even Robin had, in the end, accepted one extra. After all, being cold wouldn't kill _him_.

And cold it was. It was still only spring in New York, and though the sun made more and more appearances, some days the air still smelled of snow. Robin made his way over to the building where they had set up something of a public bathhouse, but that shouldn't be confused with a public indoor swimming-pool. There were no waterslides here, in fact, there were no pools, but there was running water, led here from one of the city's pipes, and, although it was cold, the Mongrels had set up a number of ways to heat it, from big pots on simple electric heaters, to a large wood-fired water-heater which had been a real find in the ruins of one of the older buildings, where it had been stored away to rust long before the wars.

"Hi, can I get a bucket?" Robin asked and was soon showed to an empty shower-stall with a large bucket of steaming water in one hand, and a towel in the other. The stalls, running all along the walls, were only separated by plastic sheets or even cut-up garbage-bags. They all had an actual shower in them, with cold water, and the only warm water you got was in the bucket. Outside every stall, joining it, was a very small changing area, also closed off with whatever was available. The arrangement was not very private, but it couldn't be helped. The women had one side and the men another, but if you _really_ wanted to peek, gaps in the plastic tended to allowed it.

Still, even though this had bothered Robin a lot in the beginning, the Mongrels were used to it, and were perhaps a bit more unashamed of their bodies because of it. Robin had gotten used to it too, he had to, if he wanted to blend in. Sure, he could have taken a bucket and closed himself up in another room, but that would only alienate him from the others, and he hadn't wanted that; he had wanted to be part of a group again very badly. He wanted to _belong_.

He undressed and hung his outfit, which had arrived by a carrier after being cleaned, over a rack. He left the bucket in the changing cubicle and went into the shower-one, taking a deep breath as he let the freezing water wash over him. There was a soap-dispenser on the wall and a few minutes later he was lathered up.

In the summer, bathing was much more pleasant, even though the showers were then moved outside, into protected enclosed streets and yards. They filled large, black garbage-bags, stolen of course, with water and cleverly hooked each of them up to a shower-head. After that they let them hang in the sun all day, making the water nice and warm for a rather long shower every evening if they so wished. But it was still too cold for that.

Robin reached for his hot water and used a jug to pour the water over himself and rinse his hair.

"Robin? You in there?"

"John! Yeah, just finishing up. Do you want the rest of my water?" the teen offered, since John was a big man and hot water wasn't to be wasted.

"Nah, I'm working in no-man's land today, gonna get quite whiffy anyways," the man guffawed. "I heard you had a meeting?"

"Yeah, this afternoon… lots of details. Why? Wanna come?"

"Hell no, I would be bored out of my mind, I'd rather do some _real_ work…" the man teased.

"Well, tiny little me have to stick to planning…" Robin chuckled.

"Not so tiny from where I'm standing."

"John!"

"What? Just checking to see if Amanda was right about you."

"Amanda was checking me out?"

"She was six months pregnant and horny as hell. She was checking old man Stone out too."

"Sounds like you weren't doing your job," Robin chuckled as he began to dry himself.

"I said she was pregnant, right? Besides, I have a real bastard of a boss who insists on people actually _leaving_ bed to _work _from time to time."

"What an ass," Robin smirked as he pulled on his underwear.

"That's what Amanda said."

Robin chuckled again and, after pulling his pants on, he stepped out from behind the sheet. His outfit might not be completely clean, but he had lived with a lot worse, they all had.

"How is she and little Rose?"

"Just fine, Amanda orders you to have dinner with us tonight."

"I'd better obey then," Robin grinned.

"You are a very smart boy," the gigantic man grinned back. "Trucks have arrived with… porta-potties, I think the drivers called them."

"Good, tell them to-"

"They just dumped them off and left, actually," the man interrupted.

"Damn… typical."

"Well, I like that we make then nervous," John grinned.

"Great, then you'll love logging those things half way across our territory, then… come on, we better get started…"

Improving their living-standards while living in what still looked like a war-zone, was an monumental task, and Robin had barely known where to start. Just throwing houses up was not an option, since there was very little clear ground. Builders would come in to repair the ones that could be saved, tear down the one's that couldn't and clear the way for new ones, all with the help of Mongrel workers, but that would take time.

Making life more comfortable, and especially more sanitary, in the mean while, was therefore of the essence. The sewer-system only worked in some parts, in others it was blocked or collapsed, meaning that you could throw things _in_, but it would most likely _stay_ there.

Robin had thought of installing septic tanks, but that was too much work, so portable toilets had been chosen. It was still a step up from the different solutions used now, which consisted of using anything from the broken drains to buckets. Washing, both clothes and themselves would be next, which meant they needed better ways to heat water. Robin hoped the group he was meeting had some ideas. With almost four-hundred Mongrels, spread out in several groups, it wouldn't be easy to not only come up with the resources but also divide them out equally, so they all could reach them. These truckloads of about fifty portable toilets would not go very far.

The power-supply had been extended a great deal, however, although with temporary industrial-sized versions of extension-cords, but more houses now had electronic heaters, cooking-plates and light. Washing-machines was the logical next step, in fact there were some public ones, but they all required at least water and power, and, preferably, working sewers as well. Robin wished he had spent a little less time in a modern city growing up, because he knew there used to be eco-friendly houses that probably had great inventions regarding sewers and water-conservation and recycling, but he just didn't know how it all worked. Hell, he didn't even know much about how the usual setup worked. There had been very little time to try to find any information when people were struggling to even stay warm, but now, hopefully, times would get better… after they had hauled fifty toilets several blocks on simple carts…

* * *

The group Robin met in the afternoon turned out to consist of ten people, six men and four women. One of the men the teen recognized: Alan Miller, the city planner. Slade, however, did _not_ show up, something that put Robin in a strangely tense mood.

The group, or the _committee_, as Robin decided to call them, had all done their homework and seemed to know what to do. The Mongrel area was, after all, not the only place in the world destroyed by war, most of the cities had looked like this when Slade had taken over and rebuilding was still going on everywhere. For the Mongrels it was slightly different, however, because they had to_ live _on the building-site, so to speak, even though they could mostly move a bit out of the way.

"Mobile living-quarters are the answer. They can be driven in and parked on every available surface, and even stacked on top of each other. Every four units can have a shower unit, a utility unit and a toilet-unit," Michael McDowell, the construction manager, said. He was a burly, balding man with a mustache, and seemed to have both feet on the ground.

"Is there enough space to house four hundred people, though?" the logistic expert

Nathalie Davis asked. She was in her thirties, a brunette with a short hairdo which seemed to be chosen because it was easy to manage more than flattering. Her eyes were sharp, though and you could almost hear her brain ticking away, making plans and analyzing the situation.

"Not really, but there are some houses in rather good condition," Alan said**.**

"Good condition? They all seem about to fall down! Really, how people can put up with these conditions, even if they_ are _sla- Mongrels…" Tracy Higgins said. She was thehealth and safety-overseer, and, though it had not been lost on Robin that all the committee-members had last names, and therefore either belonged to free families or had been freed themselves, only she had let her true feelings about the former slaves show. She was there to ensure the safety of _Slade_'s workers, not Robin's, and the teen had a feeling that the man had included her just to screw with him. She was well in her forties, but dressed in a way she probably thought was youthful, with bright colors and her hair pulled up in a pony-tail with a purple scrungie. It really didn't suit her age or her long, slightly buck-toothed face, but, of course, Robin would have liked her if she hadn't been such a bitch.

The rest of the members were Kaitlyn Powers, who was a very cute red-headed twenty-five year old and surprised Robin by being thesewerage maintenance specialist. André Gariot was the medical consultant and looked very prim and proper, with graying temples and wire-rimmed glasses. He had a French accent which Robin just loved, because it reminded him that there was a world outside of central New York. Ricardo Gomez, who was an architect, clearly had Spanish roots, and it wasn't just the name that gave it away. He had serious brown eyes, which looked a little droopy, and was no that much taller than Robin. The teen liked him, however, since he seemed very interested in the proceedings. Frank Harrison was the electrician, thin as a rake and tall as well. He almost looked like he had gotten a few shocks in his life, but seemed optimistic and easy-going. Janice Myer, who worked with human resources, a field that was slightly more literal in 2061, was the opposite, as she seemd cold and calculating to Robin, but maybe she was just focused and efficient. She wouldn't be brining any muffin-baskets to their meetings, though, that was for sure. Her hair was cut in a strict, short bob and was colored a dark brown, almost black, with just a tell-tale hint of a gray hair here and there. Finally there was Perry Leeson, the plumbing supervisor. He looked like the archetype of a plumber too, in a faded t-shirt, jeans, closed cropped light hair and rather round around the middle. He seemed to know Frank the electrician, though, and the two of them had a rough but hearty jargon.

With the exception of Mrs Higgins, they all seemed useful and competent, and, by the end of the meeting, Robin was pleased. He had gotten the basics for a plan to move forward and all of them had a fair share of homework to do for their next meeting in two days.

"Quite a lot of work to do, huh?" Alan said as the rest of the group was leaving. The man seemed to linger, which both bothered Robin and gave him a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah…" he sighed, "but it will all be worth it."

"I'm sure it will. I just wanted to say that I'm happy to be working with you. This is a chance for me to put my own mark on New York City… it doesn't get much bigger than that…"

"Great, people always do their best when they are passionate about something," Robin smiled.

"You are right… by the way, do you want to get a cup of coffee?"

Robin, taken somewhat by surprise, had nodded before he had thought it through.

"Yeah… sure… do you know a place?"

"Yes, right around the corner," the man smiled. "I'm buying."

"You better, I don't think I have any of those points you people use for currency," Robin realized. The meeting had been held outside of the Mongrel territory, for safety-reasons, but they weren't too far from no-man's-land.

"Perhaps you should ask Slade for a debit-card?" Alan suggested.

"I'd rather lick his shoes… and I'm not in to stuff like that, just to clear things up," the teen muttered.

"Care to tell me what kinds of things you _are_ into?" the city-planner grinned cheekily and then laughed as Robin blushed. "Just joking, here we are. I'm hungry, I'm getting a sandwich too. You?"

"Thanks, I'd love one… if that's okay?"

"You kidding? Treating the boss might get me some privileges, right?" the Italian-looking man grinned and waggled his eyebrows comically, making Robin snicker. He wasn't sure if the man was really flirting with him, or just joking around.

The place was a small café, and they took a seat by the window. It looked surprisingly like a normal coffee-shop from Robin's time, but there were fewer adverts and the menus over the register were very confusing. As far as Robin could work out the shop offered different things depending on what rank you were. The lowest could only get a cup of coffee with sugar _or _milk and a small cookie, and the highest could get a whole simple meal if he or she wanted to. Robin thought Alan must be pretty high on the scale because he came back with two very nice prawn sandwiches as well as some cool drinks.

"I thought we'd finish with the coffee instead, it really doesn't go with shellfish," the man shrugged and took a sip of his juice. Robin was about to answer when his phone rang. He glanced at the display and swallowed.

"Hi, Slade, I'm busy, can I call you back?" the teen asked.

"No," the man simply told him.

"Errr… okay? Sooo… what did you want?"

"How did the meeting go?"

"Great, just great… most of them I didn't hate."

"I assume Tracy opened her mouth," the man chuckled.

"She did. Please fire her?"

"No, the board wanted her on the team to make sure our workforce are not taken advantage of," Slade explained.

"No, of course, that would be terrible. Let the Mongrels work themselves to death instead."

"Exactly."

"Ha-ha."

"So, busy, are you? Does it have anything to do with Alan?"

"Why would you think that?" Robin asked, a bit nervously.

"Oh, I don't know… You've already met, he's a nice-looking man…"

"Not… not really… I mean…. he is?" Robin babbled.

"Yes. I enjoy looking at him myself. Especially his head. In particular when it's right in my crosshairs."

_To be Continued…._

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you **Pri-ThePuppeteer, MyLittleBird, noirakasha, mmf25, BrillianceoftheMoon, RezRagnarok **and** RezRagnarok, **who, on Deviant Art, helped me with the names for the committee-members. I decided to name them, since I'm sure they will be mentioned further on, but you don't have to bother learning their names, I doubt they will get many lines… ;)

About the names; I mixed and matched among the suggested ones, since not all of you gave me both first and last names, so they might be a bit different from your suggestions…

In this chapter I tried to show the Mongrels living-conditions a bit more and the plans how to fix it, but I'm no expert at these things, so if you spot something I've missed that should be focused on, please tell me! I didn't write anything about food, really, but I plan to get to that later…

I'll start working on the next chapter asap, but remember to tell me if you are still reading, kay?


	11. All work and no play…

A/N: New chapter! This is shorter, I'm afraid, but I have actually gotten an idea for something to happen, and didn't want to leave you with a cliffy this time…. nice huh? Yes, I know, I rule! ;)

Oh, I've just issued a challenge on my Deviant-Art page. It's about doing a satire/parody or crack fic/pic based on one or more of my universes… or my writing-style… or something… It's just a challenge, so there are no prizes, but those joining in will be rewarded somehow… ;)

Only read this through once, cookies for corrections...

* * *

**2061**

**All work and no play…**

"Alan! Duck!" Robin yelled out and pulled the man to the floor just as the window and the small saltshaker on their table shattered. This told Robin that the man hadn't been aiming for Alan's head after all, which, somehow, made him angrier.

He got to his feet and headed for the door when the city planner grabbed him by the ankle.

"You can't go, there's a crazy murderer out there!"

"I know. And I'm going to have a little chat with him…" Robin growled and pulled himself free.

The shot must have come from the roof of the low building across the road, the teen quickly decided, so he set off. He jumped from a fire hydrant, grabbed a window-ledge on the first floor, swung himself up on that and then jumped again, catching a balcony on the second floor with his fingertips. He soon landed on the roof having made Parkour-experts look like challenged toddlers on monkey-bars.

Slade was still there, calmly buffing out an invisible smudge on the rifle.

"Was that your idea of a joke?" Robin snarled.

"Yes, why aren't you laughing?" the man deadpanned. "I've also come up with this one; 'why did the little bird cross the road?'"

"To kick your ass!" the hero answered and attacked. Slade blocked the fist embarrassingly easy, however.

"I had a slightly different answer in mind… like 'to protect his boyfriend'. Your version was more absurd, though."

"Alan is not my _boyfriend_! We're _not_ on a_ date_!" the teen yelled.

"Of course not. If that was the case he would be dead."

Robin took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't win over Slade while being this angry. Unfortunately the man was an expert on pissing him off.

"What are you doing here? Spying on me?"

"Yes."

Robin blinked. He hadn't expected an admission.

"Really?"

"Yes. I wanted to see how the meeting was going, and, frankly, it's nice to get out of the office."

The teen just stared at the man. For the first time he noticed that Slade was wearing his own version of Robin's black outfit, making him look like a god. A god of death, perhaps, but still. No matter, the hero quickly locked those kinds of thoughts away, as they would only lead to bad things. Or extremely _good_ things that he would feel bad about afterwards.

"I see. You missed me, you were bored, and you wanted to play."

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, but in general, yes." The man gave Robin an almost boyish grin, which had the teen struggling to rein those dirty thoughts in again.

"I see. Goodbye, Slade," Robin said and turned around.

"Excuse me?"

"Well," the teen said as he stood on the ledge of the roof and looked at the man from over his shoulder. "If it was business, fine; set up a meeting, I'll be there. But I have work to do, so I don't have time to play rooftop-tag with you."

With those words he jumped off, landing on the street via a canopy a few seconds later. He had taken ten steps when his phone rang.

"Yes?" he hissed, still walking away.

"I bet you would_ like_ playing if we used _my_ rules," the man claimed.

"Let me guess, if you catch me you get to do me against a chimney, and if I catch you, you get to do me against a chimney?" Robin said dryly.

"Oh, so you_ know_ the game?" Slade chuckled.

Robin hung up.

The waitress in the café told him that Alan had already left, asking her to apologize on his behalf, but Robin was actually pleased. He didn't want Slade to shoot the poor man just because he was annoyed.

As he set off across no-man's land he couldn't help but grin a little and shake his head. Slade was really too much sometimes.

* * *

Almost three weeks went by.

Slade and Robin had some contact over the phone. Robin tried to keep it cool and professional, but, sometimes, the man managed to lure him into conversations that he hoped wasn't overheard. One of those started when the phone woke Robin up late one night and the first words Slade said was "What are you wearing?".

The clearing and repairing was getting on, slowly but steadily. The Mongrels had organized themselves into four larger groups of about a hundred people in each, who each had an assigned living-area. This made it easier to build temporary but full sized water pipes to each point as well as electricity, so each centre now had thirty showers and twenty washing-machines and dryers, whereas the toilets were spread out throughout each area for easier access. There were also places for washing dishes and preparing food, because the Mongrels were more used to doing these things together in large groups than in the small nuclear-family constellations more common in Robin's time. It all reminded the teen of a large camping-ground, where most commodities were shared.

Still, people were mostly optimistic, although some were a bit vary of all this sudden change, but they did appreciate when Rose and a large medical team, had, in cooperation with AndréGariot, the medical consultant, given the Mongrels health-checks. It was quickly discovered that there was a need for dentists as well, although not as much as Robin had expected. Also asthma and allergies among the Mongrels were almost non-existent.

Small, but important luxuries aside, most of their days were filled with hard work. Robin spent half the day helping to clear rubble, something even young children did, and the other half planning and visiting the different operation-points. Bricks, for example, were taken to one place where a large group of people spent time chiseling the old mortar off so they could be re-used. They were then sorted by type and size and loaded onto pickup-trucks to be taken to an area assigned for building-supplies. It was time-consuming work, but important. They needed to use as much recycled material as possible, because Slade was not freely giving resources away. Divisions of the Mongrels were already shipped out every morning to work on building-sites in the city itself, to pay off the equipment and expertise the man provided. They returned every day with new knowledge, however, so when they _did_ work on their own turf, the assignments were handled faster and with more skill.

Robin watched it all happen with a bubbling sense of pride, but, as he dragged his feet home, exhausted after yet another long day, he couldn't wait for it all to be finished.

He was coming back from a hot shower, his hair still a bit wet, which made him shiver. He still lived in his small basement-room, as he didn't want to take up a whole living-unit all by himself. Privacy was the only luxury he allowed himself, or rather, demanded. John had asked him many times to move in with them, but the teen had turned him down politely. Now, of course, he could pick one of the rooms that stood empty as their occupants had left for the new, modern living-units, but he just hadn't had the time and energy to move his blankets yet. Well, blankets and mattress, because he _had _gotten a proper one of those to. And a pillow. It was practically the Hilton.

It was getting dark out, so Robin flicked the light on as he entered. Nothing happened. This building was one of the condemned ones, though it was stable enough not to fall down at any moment. Still, though, there was no use fixing the electricity in it, so it worked on a very random basis.

"Great…" the teen muttered and closed his door with a bang. A little bit of light was still coming in from the small gaps in the boarded up window, but he hardly needed it. There was nothing to trip over, after all, since the room was empty.

He pulled his top over his head and stretched his sore back. He didn't dare think about what it would have felt like without the longevity drug.

He pulled his trousers and underwear down as well, fumbling around the foot of the bed for the small stack of clean clothes he had collected, or rather given forcefully by Rebecca a few days ago.

When he couldn't find them at once he sank down on his knees on the mattress, and, with a deep, exasperated and tired sigh he just let himself collapse forward.

Landing right on a warm chest.

Robin made a rather undignified sound as he struggled to get up, but an arm around his waist kept him pretty much in place.

"Are you so eager that you jump on me?"

"Oh, for fucks sake, Slade, you almost gave me a heart attack!" the teen yelled.

"Hmm… seems to beat quite strongly to me… fast, but strong…" the man said, pressing a warm hand against Robin's chest. "You feel a bit cold, though… want me to warm you up?"

"No! Want me to give you a prostate exam with my foot?" the teen growled. He had calmed down a bit now. Slade was, after all, not some unknown psycho rapist, oh no. He knew this psycho rapist very well. This was why he hadn't broken Slade's nose yet, but accepted being held, their naked bodies pressed tightly togeth-

"You're_ naked_?"

"Yes."

"You sneak into my home, get naked, and get into my bed? Why?"

"To save time?"

"Save- _what_?"

"Well, I'm going to fuck you," the man explained.

"Noooo…. no, you're _not_. You're going to get the hell out of here and- ah!" Slade had suddenly flipped them over, making Robin wish that he had tried harder to escape while he had been on top, because now he was pretty much screwed. And probably literally too.

"What did you promise me weeks ago, Robin?" the man asked, his warm breath ghosting over Robin's neck.

"Not this, that's for sure!" the teen muttered.

"No, but a list…. remember?"

"OH! Oh, the list! Yeah, I forgot, but it's done! I'll get it, shall I?" the teen said and tried to get up.

"Later. The board has been riding my ass about it… I thought I deserved some compensation of the same kind…"

"You thought wrong," Robin growled.

"Oh, just hush and enjoy it," Slade chuckled.

Robin seethed. He decided to wait for the right opportunity to strike; that was when he could _move_. Slade was straddling his thighs, making his legs useless, and his hands had somehow ended up by his head, where they were caged in and held by Slade. They weren't grasped hard at all, the man's thumbs were even sliding up and down his wrists, over the pulse-point, making it beat a little harder.

Slade had taken to kissing and nibbling on Robin's throat, making the teen do two things; consider head-butting the man and give a small moan.

"I know what you're doing, you know," the teen said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, you're trying to... t…turn me on."

"Really?"

"Yes. These are your _nice-guy_ sex-moves."

"I didn't know I had those."

"You don't use them a lot."

"Better practice then."

Robin snorted, but his body had started to grasp the idea and rather liked it. It wasn't just _what _the man did, it was _that_ he did it… that it was _Slade_ kissing the corner of his mouth, or his jaw, his chest, his nipples, trying to make _him_ react, to _please_ him. Even though he was being held down, Robin felt a rush of excitement at being the man's centre of attention.

It was completely dark now, Robin couldn't see a thing, he could only hear and feel and smell, which made it all even more exciting and also more… acceptable. Because if he could have seen the man's face, he might have found a smug expression on it, which would have ruined everything.

The man shifted, kneeling between the teen's legs instead of straddling them, and then settled down again, pushing their bodies together in a very suggestive rhythm. Robin moaned as their cocks slid against each other, partly because it felt good and partly because it wasn't nearly _enough_. Apart from his length throbbing, there was also a very familiar tingling feeling further down. It was the kind he sometimes felt after waking up from a wet dream, right on the edge of coming, and which more or less _forced_ him to push a couple of fingers into himself, just to come. Nothing else would do. He needed to be filled.

With a soft whimper the teen lifted his hips so that the man's cock was sliding between his cheeks instead. It was already slick with precum, but Slade let one of his arms go for a moment and a slightly cool sensation against the teen's entrance told Robin what that hand was busy with.

There was no talking now, no teasing or mocking. Why taunt someone about being needy when it was so very obvious that they both wanted it just as much?

Having an arm free was an opportunity not to be wasted, although Robin didn't quite use it as he had initially planned. Instead he grabbed the man's neck and pulled him down for a kiss that should teach the former mercenary his place.

Slade ruined it slightly by chuckling, though.

Robin still felt that he ruled the kiss until the man shifted and there was a pressure against his opening, because then he lost his focus a little bit.

He secretly loved being taken like this, with only lube and no stretching. He felt that fingers sometimes ruined the initial, wonderful sensation of being… well… _taken_. It was not a proud realization, but it was nonetheless true… It was best when Slade was going slowly, like now, however, just putting on a slow, steady pressure until Robin's ring of muscle just gave in, making the teen gasp and clutch the man's back. There was nothing like this feeling in the world. _Nothing_.

They started to move together in the dark, with only little moans and grunts guiding them through the other one's wishes. Robin weakly wondered what it was about Slade that allowed his presence to push all the teen's other thoughts, worries and goals out of his head. It was not love, because there was nothing rose-tinted about it, it was just that Slade had a way of taking up_ so_ much room that nothing else would really fit.

The teen sighed and parted his lips to let the man's persistent tongue in, only to battle it lazily with his own. He should be grateful that the man managed to do this, he suddenly realized, because if he would never be able to put all these other serious things aside, he wasn't sure he would have made it this far without going insane. Slade drew him insane too, but somehow it canceled each other out in the end.

Then Robin started to wonder if Slade felt the same way.

To Be Continued…

* * *

A/N: Slade and Robin's relationship is very hot/cold, on again/off again, and with this chapter I tried to explain a bit about WHY this is. I'm not sure I succeeded, and if you don't want to dig deeper into this story, just ignore it and, hopefully, enjoy all the ups and downs on a simple, smexy level instead… ;)

I'll update a Delightful drabble on Sunday, and I'm not sure I'll have time to update anything before then, because tomorrow work starts again, and it will be a busy week, but we'll see…


	12. Narcissism 101

A/N: I'm having a bit of trouble answering reviews again… I get them, but then the site claims that they don't exist, and they don't appear on the actual review-page either… so if I don't reply, that's why… I hope it's just a temporary bug, though…

Now, I hope you enjoy almost 12 pages of:

* * *

**2061**

**Narcissism 101 **

Robin woke at the break of dawn, surprisingly enough finding Slade spooning him. The _position _was not the surprise; the mattress was rather narrow, and as Robin was facing the wall, the man had very little room unless he wanted to sleep on the cold floor. The surprise was that Slade was still_ there_.

"What do they serve for breakfast around here?" the man mumbled in his ear, noticing that he was awake.

"I'm not taking you to the canteen, Slade."

"All that work last night, and I'm not even going to get_ breakfast_?" the man's voice was one of mocked outrage.

"I don't think my people would appreciate sharing a meal with their biggest enemy."

"Or finding out that their leader is getting fucked by said enemy?" Slade smirked.

"Exactly."

"Ah. A bit of a Romeo and Juliet situation we have going on here then…"

"Are you_ insane_?" Robin snorted and sat up, instantly missing the warmth of the man, but he wouldn't allow himself to show it. "If you think doing what you did last night is _romantic_, you're wrong. It's_ creepy_. Very, _very_ creepy. How did you even know where to _find_ me?" Robin really wanted to know that, because, sure, he had been stationary for a while, but it was a large house, and a large basement with many rooms, so how had Slade known which one was his? Most of them showed some sign of occupation, after all.

Slade chuckled darkly.

"Did you really think you could hide from me, Robin? I always knew where you were. You were never out of reach."

* * *

A quarter or so of an hour later, Robin had dressed and finished telling Slade that, among other things, the man better not be there when he got back, and was now heading to the closest canteen.

"You look smug this morning, any new plans?" John asked.

"I do?" Robin blinked. He would have guessed 'irritated' not 'smug'.

"Yes, you look like you've gotten the better end of a deal… did you trick Slade out of something?"

"Ermm… kinda…" Robin mumbled and blushed as he hurriedly grabbed a piece of bread and some hot broth.

Food had always been tricky, not only to come by, but also to prepare. Most of their supply, Robin freely admitted, was stolen, but now, with the truce, that option was no longer available. Instead some food were delivered to them as part of the deal and also some trading had started, much thanks to Rebecca, who had fallen in love with the jewelry Robin had given her for Slade-mas. With the help of the teen she had contacted the creator who, with a small group of artists, had set up a small but very important trading-business with Rebecca's extensive circle of friends.

How they got most of the food was a sensitive issue, though, as many preferred to steal from the tyranny they had escaped from, rather than living on what they considered charity. Robin argued that it was _not_ for free, that they were paying in labor and, so some extent at least, less freedom.

Some things they had no way of producing themselves, like flour, and Robin looked forward to their first tries at farming on a larger scale, although that was still some time off. They had grown a bit of vegetables for themselves already, like potatoes in pots and in patches in Central Park, and also beans and peas, which didn't need much and could grow practically anywhere. After an unusual raid led by Robin last summer, Central park had now also gained a truck-load of fruit-trees; apples, pears and plums, mostly, which had been on their way to an orchard further south. Robin had spotted the truck and decided that the Mongrels could use those trees more.

There was also a question of meat. Some of it, like pigeons, was supplied by hunters. Robin had told Slade about rats, and it was no joke. Rats and rabbits were rather easy to breed, after all, and though they didn't have much meat on them they, especially the rats, ate pretty much everything. The long grass which covered most of what once was the park's lawns were cut and stored as hay late each summer, something the Mongrels had been doing since long before Robin showed up.

The teen taking over hadn't changed most of their traditions or ways of life. He had made their world a bit safer, fighting back the Mongrel-hunters, and he had helped provide more food and supplies, but it was only thanks to the Mongrels themselves that they had been able to survive at all. They had an amazing ingenuity and a will to work hard to stay free, but that part was also, Robin feared, where the problems would be as the two worlds were slowly melting together. He had thought about Slade's words about a rebellion, and feared it, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Everything was as stable as could be expected right now, and all that was needed was hard work and time.

"Robin, Robin!" a small group of children were running up to him and soon he had the little tykes clinging to his legs and arms. Children, Robin thought, should be used instead of handcuffs and straight-jackets, because they were damn effective. "You know what!"

"No, what, Linda?" the teen smiled at a very happy little girl.

"Guess!"

"Have you gotten a boyfriend?" the hero teased.

"Yuck, no! Chickens! Mum and the aunties got chickens! They eat corn and insects and worms and stuff and they will lay eggs!"

"That's great, you are all going to help to look after them, though, aren't you?" Robin said.

"Yes! Wanna see them?"

"I'd love to, but- oh, alright…" Robin said and decided to eat his breakfast on the go.

The chickens, it turned out, were kept in a closed courtyard to keep them safe, and some teenagers were busy building a coop for them to nest in.

"When did they arrive?" Robin asked.

"Just this morning! Daddy traded them for some boxes he made. Look! The white one is so pretty! I'm going to name her Snowflake!" Linda exclaimed.

"No, that one is the boy!" another of the children, Robin thought it was Linda's cousin, but he couldn't really keep track of them all, pointed out.

"Oh," Linda said. "Then he's Robin!"

"Oh, no," the teen objected, "think of something else, please? You try naming _everything_ after me…"

"I know! Slade!" another child exclaimed.

"Very good, Axel, he'd love to find out that he has a chicken named after himself…" Robin chuckled.

"You… you think he'll be angry?" the boy asked worriedly.

"On, no, don't worry. Chicken-Slade will be the boss here, over all of the hens… I think real Slade will like that idea… just don't let him get too cocky, or we'll cook him!"

The kids loved that, and Chicken-Slade, who actually looked a bit nervous and ruffled, as he checked out his new home, didn't seem to mind much either.

Slade, to the Mongrel children, was a strange mix of the devil and the boogie-man; not quite real, but, at the same time, a threat. There were stories about him, of course, among the children and adults alike, but since Robin had arrived on the scene those stories had blossomed into rather fantastic adventures involving the two adversaries. The teen had tried to put a lid on them at first, but it was impossible and he had eventually given up. Some good might come from it, he figured, like for the children to gain courage from the fact that heroes didn't have to be huge and all-powerful.

"Well, I have to go, but you all help out here now, right?"

"Yes, we have to sweep the whole yard so there's nothing sharp for the chickens to eat. Chickens are stupid, the farmer-man said," Linda explained.

"Slade is stupid, Slade is stupid!" another one cheered and the others joined in.

_Yes, he'll love to hear about this…_ Robin grinned to himself.

"That sounds good, get to work then, tell your mums I said hi," Robin chuckled and then went over to the teens who were building and gave them some encouragement as well, before he left to find John.

"Do you think we have some teens and adults we could send out to farms?" he asked the big man. "We really could use the knowledge, and if they pay us in dairy, grains and maybe chickens, it could really help."

"Most farms are factories, specialized on one thing, though…" John said thoughtfully. "Jane and Albert, among others, have escaped from those places… Can we really learn anything from studying how it's done on that scale? What we need is an old fashioned farm, like in the books."

"Yeah… and I suspect we would need a time-machine to reach one…" Robin muttered. "I'll try to find out, though… at the very least I'll raid the archives for more specialist literature… by the way, are chickens stupid?"

"Don't know… I've eaten chicken once or twice, though… good meat…"

"Yes, well… everything helps… Not that twenty chickens will keep everyone fed, but every little thing… We need to have a council-meeting though, to make sure we're on top of the trading… we can't suddenly sit here with twenty thousand chickens and nothing to feed them… and we have to make sure everything is shared as equally as possible…" the last thing was an surprisingly small problem, as everyone was proud to contribute to either the group they were a part of or the whole society, but the teen had a feeling that with more resources, there might also be greed.

"I'll arrange one for this afternoon," John said.

"Good… oh, yeah, I need the list!" Robin suddenly remembered. "I think it's best if I take it to Slade directly… I have a feeling he wants it."

His second in command nodded.

What Robin's relationship with Slade consisted of was not well known. The first time Robin had met a member of their society, a Slade-mas ambassador who, it turned out, had been a man named Bill, Robin had been wearing a school girl uniform. The teen didn't know if Bill had told the others of this, it was possible that the man had been so nervous that he didn't remember, or just didn't recognize him. Still, there were many rumors going around. Some Mongrels even thought that Robin was Slade's rebellious son, but_ those_ tales, at least, the teen denied vehemently.

He had told a half truth about being the man's prisoner and then escaping, because coming into their society saying 'hi, I'm Robin, I used to have lots of sex with Slade, still am on occasion, but I really wanna help you out' might not have worked well. They _did_ know he was gay, though, the teen had had to tell them so people would stop trying to pair him up. They still did, but at least to a lesser extent.

After picking up the handwritten list from the council-member who had been in charge of it, Robin straddled his bike and opened his cell phone.

"Missed me already?" Slade answered on the second ring.

"Please, I just wanted to see if you were back at the office. I have the list for you."

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick it up at your place tonight?" the man purred.

"The list and your _teeth_ in that case…" the teen answered sweetly.

"Well, I guess you just have to come to me, then. But I'm not at the office; I'm at Irena's place. The main one."

"Of course you are. Horn dog," Robin muttered.

"I assure you; it's strictly business," the man chuckled.

"And what does that_ mean_, at a whorehouse?" the hero asked sweetly.

"Why don't you come and see? Do you know it?"

"I really haven't had time to cruise the city for brothels…" the teen muttered.

Slade gave him directions to a place in one of the nicer parts of the city and told him that Irena would wait for him in the reception.

It was strange to not only drive through Slade's part of the city, but also to do that freely, without being chased. Robin looked at the buildings lining the streets. Many were new, rebuilt since after the war, and most were not over five to ten stories high. The Empire State building was the only skyscraper left in New York, and Robin still marveled over the fact that it had survived well enough to be repaired. He hoped to see new buildings soon in his own area, wondering what it would feel like to drive through there when it was all done.

Robin arrived a few minutes later, and he couldn't really have missed the building if he tried. It had a large entrance framed with what were perhaps 'artistic' photos of some of the more popular employees. Robin glanced at what was called a 'menu' as he walked in, but had to admit that he didn't know what most of the terms meant.

"Robin! _Finally _you visit!" Irena smiled as she glided towards him over the deep red carpet. Robin didn't know what it was about brothels and the color red, but perhaps it was compulsory.

"I'm just here to see Slade…" he sighed. He was a bit tired for jokes, after all.

"Could be the other way around, you know? You'll get the best suite, and meet lots of interesting men…"

"Yes, for ten minutes…" Robin smirked. "And they have to get by Slade first, so I'll probably not meet anyone…"

"That's not fair to you … maybe we can keep Slade out of it? I can arrange a few dates… no strings attached?"

"No. Really; no," the teen said. "Where is he?"

"Room three hundred and three… and please come visit again at least. My lips are sealed… outside work, that is…" the woman smiled and walked away after showing Robin the elevator.

After finding the room, Robin knocked on the door before opening it. One never knew with Slade, after all. What he found inside looked surprisingly like a small, luxury hotel room in pale tan colors, with Slade reclining in a soft chair, wearing a bathrobe and reading what looked like a contract.

"Oh, Slade, did you make the whore hide under the bed?" Robin asked in a mock upset voice.

The man only glanced up at him and chuckled.

"You can look if you're curious…" he said. "I just came here to have a shower and some breakfast after last night, since you decided to be a terrible host."

"I'm sorry. The next naked man breaking in to my room will get a royal treatment…" the teen muttered and threw himself down in the opposite chair. He threw a worn paper folder on the table between them.

"Here's the list."

"Thank you. Will you give me a moment to finish this?"

Robin nodded. He really didn't need to stay, it should be enough just to drop off the list and leave, but _damn_ the chair was cozy. And it was warm and dry, none of that damp air that seemed to cling to the walls in his room. He looked around. It was really nice to be back in civilization again. He then spotted the mirror on the ceiling over the bed and snorted. So much for civilization… He also felt pretty guilty for thinking like that; he had everything he needed at the Mongrels, but, on the other hand, nothing more than that. And sometimes a bit more felt _good_.

_I guess I'm just spoiled…_ he thought to himself, and then decided to look in a leather-bound book on the table to think of something else. He soon regretted it.

"What the hell…?"

"Ah, the complete menu. If you see anything you like we can call room service…" Slade smirked as he looked up from his work.

Robin turned the page he had opened the book at around a bit to look at the large photo from another angle.

"What are they… is she hanging in something? And why…? That must be the_ most_ complicated way to have sex in the _world_!"

"Oh, just keep turning the pages…" the man said.

The book had presentations of the rooms, many of them done in different themes, although some, like this, were more 'normal' ones. The rest of it seemed to consist of suggestions of what you could do, and have done _to_ you, in those rooms.

The participants were men and women in all constellations, all, as the disclaimer said, eighteen or older. In this case, since it was Irena's place, Robin believed it. Though the photos might have been taken on some of their birthdays. The official limit was seventeen, however, so the hero still approved.

A series of photos of a room made up to look like a barn, with haystacks, naked people, and a part of a horse Robin never wanted to see again, was next. However…

"This reminds me of something…" the teen said.

"Please tell me you don't want to visit that room?" Slade muttered as he discovered what Robin was looking at.

"No! God, no… but you don't happen to have a farm, do you?"

"I'm getting _very _suspicious, Robin…" the man said slowly.

"Don't be a perv… We just got chickens, and we are planning to do more farming, keep more animals, but we have to learn_ how_… I was thinking of sending a group off to work on farms, but John pointed out that those are more or less factories now, and we need small scale knowledge… You didn't happen to keep any of the smaller ones around, by any chance? Like for fun?"

"I'll see if something can be arranged," was all the man said.

Robin beamed at him before continuing flipping through the pictures.

Some of the things were really disgusting, because apart from kids, and perhaps necrophilia, the brothel catered to every kink, but many photos were actually rather hot. Robin had to close the book before he felt the need to disappear into the bathroom with it, and decided to explore the room instead. Slade looked amused and raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment.

The closet was very interesting, as it wasn't empty. There were also a small compartment filled with oils, lube and condoms, like a perverted version of a normal hotel's mini-bar. Robin smelled a peach-scented lubricant and scrounged up his nose. He picked something up and looked at it quizzically.

"Those are anal beads. You'd love them," Slade told him.

"You've tried them, then?" the hero asked innocently and put the oversized pearl necklace back. "Are these condoms and stuff free?"

"Yes."

"Damn, I hoped I was going to stack up your bill, because I'm taking some," Robin told the man and grabbed an assortment of condoms.

"As long as I'm present when they are used…" Slade shrugged.

"They are not for _me_, I just have to show John the flavored… he barely knows about regular ones," Robin grinned. "Ooohhh… ribbed…"

"Maybe some strawberry flavor will help you get over that little aversion you have about sucking my cock…" the man said thoughtfully.

"It's not a_ little _aversion, and I'd rather not try, thank you," Robin snorted. "What are these?" he had just discovered small packets of pills, packed two and two, in different colors.

"Drugs."

"Drugs?" Robin gaped. "What _kind_ of drugs?"

"What kind do you _think_, in a place like this?" Slade smirked. "Most of them are no worse that Viagra used to be, though…"

Robin looked through the little packets. They all had different names like 'Hot and Bothered', 'Morning Glory' and 'Unyielding Desire'. He smirked and put a few in a belt-pocket. If his new committee got out of line he might be able to play a little prank on them.

After getting bored with the closet Robin plopped down on the bed and looked up.

"I don't get mirrors on the ceiling… what's so hot about that?" he asked.

"Well, you could watch yourself getting fucked, some people like that," the man shrugged and finally set down the contract after making a few notes on the last page.

"People like _you_, I should think… total narcissists…" the teen snorted.

"You might be right," was all the man said and reached for the folder instead. Robin felt a bit insulted at the lack of response but he didn't want to make a fool out of himself by trying harder.

"I'm just going to borrow the bathroom…" he said and then got up from the bed as Slade nodded absentmindedly.

The bathroom was big, with a huge bath which made even Slade's look tiny and simple. Robin quickly used the toilet and then fiddled a bit with the taps of the tub. It would be nice…

He pulled himself away, though, and went out the door, only to see Slade looking at him.

"Thinking of taking a bath?" the man asked.

"Not really…" Robin mumbled. "I need to get back, anyway."

"Something urgent?"

The teen hesitated.

"Well, a council-meeting this afternoon."

"It's only half past ten in the morning. Why not stay, have a bath, and then we'll have some lunch…" the man tempted him.

"I… shouldn't…" Robin squirmed.

"And why not? So you don't haul a few wheelbarrows of rock this morning, what's the big deal? We can talk business if that will make you feel better. Do you think any of them would pass this up? More importantly, do you think they would feel that you don't _deserve_ it? A bath and a meal?"

Robin sighed, feeling his defenses fall with every one of Slade's words.

"Fine… I'll stay for lunch… but no longer!"

"I have meetings this afternoon too," the man told him. "I won't hold you up."

The man stood and brushed by him into the bathroom, turning the taps on. Robin closed his eyes and sniffed the air. The scent of the man's newly-showered body had lingered in the air, but he hadn't felt it quite as strong before.

"New soap?" he couldn't help but ask.

"What? You thought I'd brought my own?" the man chuckled. "I've used the house's products of course. Speaking of those, would you like "Sensual Touches" or "Unbridled Passion" in the bath? And I'm talking about the bubble-bath now…"

"Is there any called 'I Just Want To Take A Normal Freaking Bath'?" the teen sighed.

"No, but there's something called 'Lustful Lather'," the man suggested.

"Oh, for crying out… 'Sensual Touches' then…" Robin snorted.

"As you wish…" the man leered and added a little dash of the purple liquid to the water. "This place has a very quick dry cleaning service, by the way, if you would like to use it."

"I smell a bit again, don't I?" Robin muttered.

"After last night you mainly smell of me, so I don't mind…" the man generously said.

"I didn't know it was_ that_ bad…" the hero complained and unbuckled his belt. "Are you going to leave?"

"I thought I'd put your clothes outside and call for the washing-service."

"You just want to watch me get naked, don't you?"

"Guilty."

"Yeah, right, like you haven't seen enough of me already…" the teen chuckled and took off his top.

"I'm not bored yet…" Slade leered and leaned against the door.

"Well… then who am I to deny you?" Robin shrugged and took of his boots as well. He unbuttoned his pants and turned his back towards the man before slowly peeling them down.

"I see you have begun to use torture. Good job. You don't have to practice any more on me, though," the man let him know.

"Very well…" Robin grinned over his shoulder and swiftly threw his top, which he was still clutching, into the man's face. When Slade saw him again, almost all of the teen was hidden by the bubbles in the bath.

"Cheater," the man muttered as he gathered the clothes.

"I've learned from the best…" Robin smirked. "What's this row of buttons for? Massage? Oh…. OOOhhh! Mmm…. Tell when lunch arrives, will you?" he mumbled and closed his eyes.

Robin leaned his head back against the built-in soft 'pillows' along sides of the tub. The hot water pulsed around his body in different patterns and he wondered if a human could, perhaps, just live in a tub like this forever.

Then the water moved like fingers between his thighs and he grinned at the naughty massage program. Until the massage program chuckled.

Robin's eyes snapped open.

"Slade!"

"Did you really think I would let you take a bath alone? I almost never do, after all…" the man grinned. He was still standing next to the tub, and Robin slapped his hand away.

"It's my bath!" the teen objected.

The man, however, didn't much care, and shrugged out of his robe.

"Don't be selfish, Robin. Be a true Mongrel; share."

"I shared enough with you last night. If you think you're getting lucky two days in a row…"

"Some days I wonder if I shouldn't just bring you back…" the man half growled, half purred as he sank down into the water.

"The Mongrels would rebel," Robin warned.

"Yes. It would be a bloodbath… but, on the other hand, I could just level the whole area afterwards… the rebuilding would be quicker…" the man said thoughtfully.

Robin snorted. He didn't react more strongly because the man's tone, and the look in his eye, was not that serious.

"Come here," Slade suggested and reached out for the teen.

"Make me," Robin said coldly.

"Really, pet… I let you run around and have this little… _Mongrel hobby_, because I think that, perhaps, it will actually be beneficial to the society as a whole… but I really wish you would consider being a bit more generous towards me from time to time…"

"Well, as I said, last night-"

"That was for the _list_… why not a little reward because I'm very nice and considerate?" Slade suggested.

Robin sighed. The man would either pester him until he got what he wanted or simply grab him, so the teen gave in and shifted until he was sitting between the man's legs and leaning back against his chest.

"There… that's better…" Slade purred and started to massage Robin's neck. The teen quite liked that. As the hands moved down to his shoulders, Robin let his head fall back against the man's body. He was feeling rather… nice.

"That scent… is that aftershave?"he asked after a while, turning his face towards the man's neck. It was stronger than the scent of the soap, on the rest of the man's skin, but didn't clash with it.

"Yes, probably. You like it?"

"M-hmm…" Robin _did_ like it. He wanted to lick it off the man. "What is it called?"

"Irresistible."

Robin chuckled.

"Who gives these products those weird names anyway?"

"Oh, it's largely descriptions of the effects," the man answered.

Robin frowned, his mind feeling a bit unwilling to be forced into any kind of thought-process.

"Effects? You… you mean they _work_?"

"I rather dislike false marketing, so they _better_…" the man chuckled.

"Wait… you knew I was coming…"

"Yes?"

"And… and the bath… and… am I _drugged_?" Robin asked and tried to sit up. Slade, however, quickly wound an arm around him to keep him put.

"No, no, no, the scents only makes_ suggestions_ to the brain, nothing more… it's just a tiny step up from the perfume-makers of the old days… it's not forcing you to do or feel _anything_."

"Ummm…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing."

"You are wondering why you are hard, aren't you?" Slade chuckled.

"…yes..." Robin muttered.

"Want to work up an appetite?"

Robin snorted and turned his head away. He was then quiet for a while and then swore before hitting the water surface hard with his fists.

"Did the water upset you?" Slade asked innocently.

"Don't be stupid! I just… I don't _want_ to! I _shouldn't _want to! Stop being so damn _slutty_, Slade!"

The man burst out in a short, hearty laugh.

"I apologize for turning you on so…" he chuckled and ran a hand down Robin's chest, over his stomach and down to his aching groin.

"You're not!" Robin denied, in spite of rather overwhelming evidence.

"No?" the man purred. "Well, maybe I should prove it to you."

Suddenly Robin was up in the air. He yelped and flung an arm around the man's neck, as Slade had suddenly stood up with him in his arms.

"What- put me down!" Robin objected.

"No. I want to show you something," Slade just smirked and, dripping wet, carried the teen out of the bathroom. Robin was then dropped on the bed, on which Slade immediately joined him.

"Look for yourself," the man ordered.

"Wha-" Robin glared up at Slade but the man shifted, and suddenly the teen gasped. The mirror.

Robin stared at his reflection. His body was flushed and dripping from the hot water, hundreds of little drops glittering on his skin or trailing down onto the silk sheets. He barely recognized himself and the panting black-haired teen with the large blue eyes could almost be a stranger. Someone who was painfully aroused and who's lover, a large, muscled man, was about to touch his hips. Robin arched as the touch came, but continued looking into the mirror as he watched the young man's legs being parted and his inner thighs caressed.

* * *

Slade smirked as he watched Robin's mesmerized expression and kept running his hands over the perfectly smooth skin, without getting in the way of the teen's line of vision. It was a bit soon, perhaps, after last night, but Slade hadn't expected Robin to call him up. When the teen did, the opportunity was simply too good to waste. He wanted to get one message through, though.

"You want this, don't you Robin?" he asked in a low voice. When the naked beauty frowned a bit, about to snap out of the trance, Slade continued. "It's all right… why deny yourself? Why feel guilty over this? Do your people suffer for it? No. Who knows, although I try to deny it, maybe they_ benefit_ from it… I hate to admit it, but when I see you like this… there's very little I can deny you…"

"Liar…" Robin snorted softly, eyes still glued to the ceiling.

"I hope so…" the man said, and watched the corners of the hero's mouth twitch. "I would hate it if you were making me soft…"

"Not much risk of that, is it?" the teen smiled lazily and raised his leg, pressing it softly against the man's groin.

Slade chuckled and stretched out next to his former pet on the bed, watching how Robin's eyes roamed over the reflection of both their bodies.

"We look rather good, don't we?" the teen said with an equal amount of irony and smugness.

"Who's the narcissist now?" Slade chuckled.

This was going well, the man decided. He would rein Robin in more and more, get the teen further away from his attachment to the Mongrels, and guilt free sex was an very pleasant step in the right direction… if it could be achieved. As long as Robin was horny, everything was fine. Slade had taught him to let go, once aroused; that it was worth it. Not that the teen realized this, of course. Slade was the only person he had ever had sex with, after all, and he had been taught, among other things, that sex could, or rather _should_, be separate from emotions and attachments. This meant that Robin didn't really have to be in 'the mood' to agree to have sex; as long as his hormones reacted he could be angry, fuck, and then continue to be angry. It might be a bit messed up, but Slade had difficulties seeing any downsides.

The man was pulled out of his thoughts by a hand on his stomach, sneaking it's way downwards. He looked up from the hand to see that Robin was still watching the mirror intently, even as he started stroking the man. Slade let the teen continue, it was not often Robin was that interesting in actively pleasing him, after all. If Slade regretted anything about how he had trained Robin, it was that, especially when it came to blowjobs. Robin was a receiver in the truest form of the word. He should work on that, Slade decided, but not now, because he was curious about what Robin would do next. Unfortunately, though, he was never going to find out, because, at that moment, the windows shook from the sound of a huge explosion.

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: sorry about the cliffy, I'll try to have the next chapter up by next weekend or something… Thank you to **bbb136 **who reviews last chapter saying that Slade was "very, very creepy"… I just had to let Robin pass on that message… ;)

I'm not very happy about having another smex-scene so soon after the last one, it's like saying that every chapter needs smex, and normally, I don't think they do, and I haven't planned to let it go even THIS far, BUT I got fascinated with the mirror… I think you can kinda tell… ;) I might include more mirrors later to explore that little kink more… ;)

One and a half page have been written of the next chapter, because I followed an advice of mine: while writing chapters, never stop when the chapter does, write at least a few lines of the next chapter, because it's SO easy to get blocked, not knowing how to start the next one…

- Chicken Slade: because white cocks are not always smaller! – -snickers-

Ignore me. Please.

/W


	13. How To Deal

A/N: This is not a funny chapter, I'm afraid. You will also read a lot of new names; try not to panic, I will remind you of who people are if/when they reoccur, okay?

Also, I should have read this through a few more times, but I haven't so cookies for corrections. On the other hand that means I have posted this chapter much sooner than I expected…

* * *

**2061**

**How To Deal**

"This is an outrage! Seven people are dead! Why where there no security measures taken?" Janice Myer, the HR-person, complained in her shrill nasal voice.

"_Seven_? _Over thirty_ people are dead, you _twat_!" Robin roared. No one knew the exact number yet, and Robin had only a few names s far.

"Yes, well, there _were_ some losses among your people as well, but that doesn't change the fact that the area was not properly surveyed-"

"_Some losses_? The youngest was _eleven_! And even more people are injured! How the hell is whining about what hadn't been done _before _going to help? We need to clear the place up and search for more wounded or bodies… We are still missing at least two people! We need more medical personnel and somewhere safe to house the injured. If you want to complain about messed up procedures, you can do that in another room by yourself!"

"But I really think we should go through previous safety records for similar sites, and-"

"_Out_. Out before the death-toll rises by _one more_," Robin snarled. Even the woman's narrowed and warped little mind finally picked up that she was in danger and she fled. "There. Anyone_ else_ who feels it's a good idea to sit and_ talk _instead of _doing_ something?" Robin asked his committee, who all looked rather pale.

"No, but… with the risk of being beheaded," Alan said carefully, "people on both sides will eventually want answers. They are going to want to know who to blame."

"Blame?" Robin gave a short, dry laugh. "The Brotherhood of Evil is to blame… and they have all been dead for fifty years, thanks to Slade…"

"Still, the area should have been surveyed…"

"It's happened before?" Robin asked.

"Yes, two undetonated bombs from the wars have been found only here in New York, but none have exploded. That has happened elsewhere, though," the construction manager Michael McDowell answered.

"I see… and I hate to sound like Janice, but why wasn't the area checked?"

McDowell glanced at his colleagues, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else right now, including under a blanket and the accident site.

"The job was low priority, and rushed at that."

"Low priority, huh?" Robin said, his voice dangerously cold. "I see. Well, leave all that to me. I want you all focused on emergency help right now. Pull all your resources and then some. André, I want you to coordinate the reports from the hospitals the injured were taken to. I want to know who is where and how badly hurt they are. As for the rest of you, if you don't think your area of expertise can be helpful, then go down to the emergency-center and clean wounds or something! And, to make it clear; this does _not_ have low priority. You can reach me on my phone if you have any questions, but if they are along the lines of 'will Slade cover the expenses for this?' the answer is yes. Go. _Now_!"

Robin allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment as the people cleared the room in a hurry. The undetonated bomb had gone off as a building close to no-man's land, in one of the most demolished areas, had been taken down. That was a small blessing, as no-one lived close by, but many had been working on the site and in surrounding areas, hauling rubble and clearing the way for the builders. Robin would have probably been there himself if it hadn't been for the little meeting with Slade.

John had been there. He was in hospital now, seriously injured.

Robin sighed. He couldn't stop and think, not right now. The committee-meeting had been held on Mongrel ground for once, and as Robin left the building he only had to run a block to be able to see the site of the explosion. It had been massive and the building, which only had been half demolished, was now gone; reduced to not much more than gravel. Buildings around it had collapsed as well from the shock-wave. Most of the unharmed mongrels had gathered around the edge of the site and Robin was soon surrounded by grieving and angry people.

"Where did they take Mike? They took him in a car!" a man asked.

"Adam, he was taken to a hospital," Robin answered. "He needed help. I will make sure you all will find out where your loved ones are so you can visit them as soon as possible, but they needed help right away, there was no time…"

"The first ambulance took a _Citizen _first, I saw them! They helped _them_ first!" another person yelled. 'Citizen' was the Mongrel's term for the people under Slade's reign who weren't slaves, and it was used in pretty much the same way as Slade's people used the word 'mongrel'.

"I'm sure it wasn't because they were Citizens," Robin answered, but he knew he couldn't be sure. Besides, he hadn't been there. When he had seen the dust cloud, telling him that the explosion had come from this area, it had taken some time to retrieve his uniform from the hotel's dry-cleaning. Fortunately it had just been finished, although his socks and underwear were god knew where.

"I saw what I saw!" the man said stubbornly, "and besides, there weren't many of them here in the first place, was there? Most of them left just before it happened!"

This set off a storm of shouts.

"_SHUT UP_!" Robin yelled. "It was lunch-time! One shift always leaves at that time! This was an _accident_! I will get to the bottom of it later, but now we have wounded to tend to and dead to bury! Jay, Matt, take ten people each and start digging the graves. We'll hold the ceremony tonight." Robin remembered that some religions, like Islam, had a rule that the dead had to be buried within a few days of death. He hadn't thought much about it before joining the Mongrels but now he had learned that, if there wasn't a cool place to store the bodies, that rule made a lot of sense, albeit from a more practical than religious point of view. "The rest of you either join a search-party or stay away from the site. I've arranged for dogs to come in and help. If you are waiting for word on where to find those who have been taken to hospital, stay close to your council-members, they all have phones and I will call them as soon as I know. Citizens will be coming in to help, and I swear, if I hear _one word_ against them, you will have to answer to me! They are here to _help_!"

Robin picked up his phone and called his next in command after John.

"Emma? Where are you? Good, can you meet me at your group's canteen in fifteen minutes? Great. Can you call Tommy and Noah too- Oh… his brother? Nicholas? God… Well, Daniel then, we'll leave Noah be for now… All right… I'll see you in a bit. Bye."

Nicholas was dead… Robin knew the young man very well, one of the best and strongest workers, so of course he had to be in the middle of it… Robin knew _all _of the mongrels of course, although not all closely. Sometimes names and who was related to who slipped his mind, but he knew every face. He would be seeing many of them in his dreams from now on, he suspected.

There were currently thirty Council members, fifteen regulars and fifteen stand-ins. Robin planned on reducing the number when people had settled into their new houses and also trying for a bit of democracy. Now members were chosen mainly on a vague sense that they had experience and could speak up for their group, and many of them were elderly. Still, true democracy took too much time as their life was at the present, and Robin had had to postpone that idea.

On the way to the meeting-point he passed an area filled with wounded people who had either not been taken to hospital yet or deemed not seriously injured enough. Among them were covered bodies, which were being moved to a separate area and Robin realized that, with or without Janice, the death-toll was still rising. He wanted to stop and help, but there was little time. His phone rang, and the name on the display made him smile sadly.

"Rebecca?"

"Robin! I've just heard. What can I do?"

"I… I don't know, just hang on a moment…" Robin asked and then turned to the councilmember in charge of the wounded, who had come to greet him. "Sophia, what do you need?"

"We have lots of hands and that Rose woman has just turned up with several colleagues… the dead though… we need to tend to them… some are in… a bad way... People have come and claimed the Citizens already…"

"Rebecca? Still there?"

"Of course, Robin, I heard… poor people!"

"Do you think you could get sheets? To wrap the bodies in?" Robin asked after glancing at Sophia, who nodded.

"As many as you'd like. White?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll send car right away. You… you bury your dead, don't you?"

"Yes, we do," Robin answered. "Thank you… I need to go, but I'll see you soon."

After Slade took over, if people were important enough to even _have_ a funeral, they were always cremated and their ashes either spread or kept by the family. Slade didn't believe in letting valuable land be occupied by dead people. The Mongrels though, having no incinerator oven and often not enough firewood to keep themselves warm, used an area of Central Park or, in the winter, an series of abandoned cellars, to lay their dead to rest. Robin knew that he would have to go more along the lines of Slade soon, since they really _did_ need as much ground as possible, but that was another decision for the future.

When Robin had hung up, he turned to Sophia again.

"Anything you need, just call me. I'm gathering some of the council to discuss what we should do next, but I think you are needed better here, unless…?"

"No, I'll stay here. That André-fellow of yours, the medical consultant?"

"Yes? He better work his ass off or I'll-" Robin growled.

"Easy-" the woman said with a small smile, "I was just going to say; the man is a rock. This place would be in much more of a panic without him."

"Good," Robin smiled tiredly back. "One less person I have to kill."

The teen had only taken a few more steps before he was stopped again, this time by Rose, who, unlikely enough, had a baby in her arms.

"Robin!" the called out and when the hero heard the sound of her voice, he had to stop.

"Rose, what- is that baby Rose?"

"Yes, her mom… Amanda… she… she's dead."

Robin's stomach turned to ice.

"But… but… she was with most of the other new mothers?" he argued, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "She was nowhere_ near _here!"

"She was taking some lunch down to John… they just found her on a nearby street, she was hit with falling debris… Rose was in her arms… she's unhurt but… Robin, where's John?"

"In… in the hospital… I… I have to get to a meeting. Could you look after the baby?"

"But I- Robin there's so much to do, and-"

"Then find someone!" the teen yelled over his shoulder.

"_Who?"_ Rose shouted after him.

"_Anyone!_" Robin yelled back. He knew that it was the situation's fault, but he just couldn't start thinking for each and every person, he had a whole _community_ to think for. He felt like a real bastard as he ran away, but he was needed elsewhere.

* * *

Emma, Tommy and Daniel had been called, but Noah was there as well, despite the loss of his younger brother. Yin, an elderly Asian man and Free, a tall, dark-skinned man that Robin was a bit weary of, had joined in as well. Free was a good man, but he had chosen his name himself as he joined the Mongrels, and he was very set against anything that even seemed to give the Citizens the upper hand. He had fought for his freedom and was prepared to keep it by any means possible.

"I'm glad you came," Robin started.

"Was it an accident?" Free immediately cut in.

"Yes. I've heard rumors, and I want you all to put a stop to them immediately. It was an accident, an undetonated bomb from the war. No one knew it was there."

"Someone said this is not the first time?" Emma said quietly. She was a small woman in her fifties, born in the war, and though not old by the standards Robin was used to, she looked closer to sixty-five, with heavy gray streaks in her hair and brittle-looking skin. Mongrels, and many slaves, aged fast and didn't live to be very old, as the hard life took its toll. "I've never heard of it… what if there are more? They could go off at any moment?"

"There might be blame here, but I want you to let _me_ deal with that in time, I don't want to hear any speculations for now. About our safety; we are as safe as we've always been. All the building has to stop of course, for at least a few days, but again, that's for me to deal with, agreed?"

"We know you will…" Noah said quietly and the other's nodded.

"Thank you." Robin looked from face to face, hoping to find more than just grief and resignation there. "Now I need you to do something very hard, though. I need you to step up. I need you to show some determination. I know it's soon, too soon, perhaps, to ask this, but you are the leaders of us all, the role models, the front figures. You have to show that you are not giving up, or giving in to anger and resentment." The teen took a deep breath. "You have all told me stories… stories of raids and Mongrel-hunting where whole families, whole groups were massacred… where children where run down by cars or shot in front of their parents for sport…_ then_ there were people to blame, _then _there was reason for anger. Not this time. You said that you were ready to put those horrible things behind you, for the sake of the next generation, and I know it feels so terribly _unfair_ that this should happen now, now when we see the beginnings of a brighter future… but it did. It did, and we will grieve, but we will move on. We can't let an accident ruin what we already have achieved, can we?"

"Your soul must be a thousand years old, for words like those…" Yin said in his usual calm way. The Asian was old, and properly old too, almost ninety. He had just come to the USA as an immigrant when the first war started and had, somehow, survived since then, in the shadows, on his own for a long time. "Good words, though, good and wise, but hard to follow when the hearts and minds of us all are in turmoil."

"I know," Robin said. "I know. But we need to try, and foremost, we need to stop the rumors. I'm not saying that we should hold back the truth, but we should find out what it_ is_ first. No speculations."

"I think we can do that…" Tommy said slowly. He was a man in his thirties, not particularly bright, perhaps, but he had been chosen for his kindness and willingness to listen to everyone. He was not the best man to depend on when you needed a quick decision, but fantastic when you needed sympathy and determination.

"Good. The funerals will be tonight, how is the searching going?"

"We've found the two missing, one deceased, and one happily alive, but only because he hadn't been there… he was supposed to work but he had to be home with his sick daughter this morning," Emma said.

"Good. At least everyone's found," Robin said.

"Yes, everyone who the supervisors knew was working there, at least… if someone decided just to show up… but no one else has been reported missing. There might still be people close by that we haven't found though… Have you heard about…?"

"Amanda? Yes," Robin said grimly.

"How about the ones who are working out in the city?" Daniel, a usually energetic man around twenty five asked. "I mean, do they know?"

"Has anyone sent messengers?" Robin asked, but the rest of the room shook their heads.

"The ones working on this side of the city must have heard the explosion, at least," Emma said.

"It's close to quitting-time, they will all be home soon…" Robin sighed. "It's a hard decision, but, no. We won't send messengers, arrange for them to be met by the busses as they arrive."

Every day busses picked up a number of Mongrels and then drove them back in the evening. Fifty percent of the adults worked thirty hours a week on the 'outside' in many different areas. There were a group of apprentices as well, mostly teens, outside of that group.

"But… shouldn't they know?" Noah asked.

"It will take too long for messengers to reach them anyway. I could arrange to have the workplaces called, perhaps, if someone could get me a list of them, but… they either find out something terrible has happened now, or in an hour… and in the second case they are met by loved ones and at least get some answers…"

Noah nodded, accepting Robin's reasoning.

"So," Robin said, looking around. "We have very little time, we should get back to it. Daniel, can you organize for people to meet the workers?"

"Yes, I'll have-" the man started, but then Robin's phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hi André… Yes? Oh… yes… yes… no… when? … Can you get him here by tonight? Good… No, I… I know… yeah… no, thank you… bye." Robin sat quietly for a moment, looking down on his phone before speaking softly. "John's dead."

* * *

Robin had not been out of the meeting long, before a group of upset men and women came running up to him. He knew them very well, as they belonged to the same group John and Amanda did. They weren't relatives, they didn't have any, but, in the Mongrel community, they were as good as.

"They are stealing our children!" a woman cried out.

"What?" Robin said tiredly.

"Amanda's girl! I saw doctor Rose hand her to a Citizen who then drove off with her!"

"Oh, for the love of… what did the Citizen look like?"

"Young man with longish hair… he had a lab-coat on…"

"I see… Would you please wait a moment?" Robin muttered and took up his phone. "Rose? It's Robin. Where's baby Rose? Ah. I see. Yes, you're an idiot. No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry… No, it's fine for now… I'll be in touch." He closed the phone and took a deep breath. "John and Amanda are dead… I just found out about John…" he said as the people around him gasped and a few started crying. "Rose had the baby and I told her to hand her to someone who could take care of her while she worked… and she choose her twin brother's fiancé."

"Why? Any one of us could have-" a man said.

"Yes,_ I_ know that, but _Rose_ doesn't!" Robin tried to explain. "She doesn't know _any _of you, so she gave the child to someone she could trust, someone she knew wasn't too preoccupied by their own work and grief to take care of her… Wouldn't you have done the same thing? Let baby Rose stay where she is for the night, she's safe and she's not lost… I'll speak to them about bringing her back as soon as I can, but not before tomorrow, understand?"

The group nodded and Robin, feeling guilty, sighed again.

"Listen, it was very good of you to keep an eye out, and to come to me instead of confronting Rose… We all have a lot to do before tonight, however, and I need to go… take care, all right?"

The group nodded once more and murmured words of comfort. Robin felt several hands on his arms and shoulders, and felt immensely grateful for a moment. These people were _his _family too.

* * *

Thirty-six new-dug graves awaited the Mongrels as they gathered for the funeral that evening. It might be the first of several ceremonies, as a few more were critically injured, but Robin hoped not.

The bodies were all encased in layer after layer of the pristine white sheets Rebecca had supplied. The teen knew that far from all of them were intact, but to ease the horrific truth their shapes had been filled out, mostly with cloth, before the last layers of sheets had been swept around them, to give the impression of a full body underneath. Robin's eyes were first drawn to one in particular; eleven year old Oscar, who looked so small among the others.

Using ropes, the bodies were lowered into the ground, one by one, by family and loved ones. Robin was one of the people who helped lowered John's body and then Amanda's as well.

Thirty six Mongrels and at least seven Citizens, as far as Robin knew, meant forty-three dead so far, and it was a blessing that the explosion had happened around lunch-time as many had begun to leave the site for their break, or the number would be higher.

Robin looked around and saw many injured, some of which had been carried here. Several were still in hospital, some having lost limbs, some hovering between life and death.

The lowering of the bodies and refilling of the graves were done in silence. Small natural stones with the names of the dead were placed on top of the mounds and then the group withdrew, leaving their dead to their rest as they gathered a bit further away to speak about them and mourn. There were no religious symbols or rites involved. Slade had more or less outlawed religion, erasing it from people's minds. In the Mongrel community it was not forbidden, but it was views as something private, and it had no place in the running of the society.

Robin climbed up on a small, simple dais, not much more than a box, put there for those who wished to speak.

"Today we have lost a large part of our family in the most terrible accident we have ever faced as a group," the teen began. Tears were streaming down his face, and he wasn't sure when they had started; he barely noticed them. "It is not the Mongrel way to raise monuments over our dead; in death, at least, we should feel safe and hidden from those who might mean us harm… but the times are changing. Our lost ones were a part of that change, they did their best to make it happen; their work will not be forgotten, and we will honor them by carrying on. Our streets and main buildings will be named after them, and, one day when we finally see the finished results of our labor, there will be a monument to them and to anyone else we might lose in achieving our goal; because I can't promise you that they were the last. I will, however, promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

For now, however, I declare a week of mourning. Food will be supplied so you all can spend as much time with your friends and family as possible.

There are many feelings inside us now, apart from grief; we are afraid, we feel resigned and we feel angry. Speak to each other about these feelings, and go to your leaders with them. Susan of John's group will take his place as of now, and all the members of the council will listen to you, and I hope you will also listen to them. I might have to leave for a little while, to make sure that you will be as safe as possible when work resumes, but the council-members have phones to reach me with… I don't want to abandon you in a time like this, and I hope you don't feel that I am, but these are issues only_ I_ can deal with. This night, however, is for remembering. It's time for those of you who so wishes to share your memories about our lost ones with us now, so please do… Noah, would you like to begin?"

Robin stepped down and then the speeches continued long into the night. Some were murmured, some yelled, some made the tears flow faster down his face, some memories made them all chuckle sadly. It was important, for the Mongrels, to share the funny and embarrassing memories, because people should ultimately be remembered with joy, not pain.

* * *

Robin didn't sleep that night, he barely felt the need to, but he tried to make sure his people found some rest, ushering them toward their lodgings like a border collie herding sheep. He escaped to a roof after that and just sat for a few hours, waiting for and then watching the sunrise.

He didn't quite know what to do next. Despite all his pretty words about it being an accident and that no-one was to blame, he couldn't help but feel angry. Slade, he was sure, had known about the risks, but neglected to tell him. Robin knew that if he had been caught in the middle of that explosion he would have died, too, as not all the healing power in the world would have worked fast enough to save him. To him that meant one thing: Slade hadn't_ known_ about the bomb, only about the possibility of one. He was pretty sure the man didn't want him dead, at least not yet, and sure, he had been distracted from working with the clearing a few times, but not, as far as he could see, purposefully. No, Robin was sure that Slade hadn't known… but that didn't mean he was guilt free; no offers of scanning the area for explosives had been made, after all, and Robin had simply not realized that there were any danger at all. He growled and wondered why his committee hadn't told him, but the answer to that he wouldn't get until they met again.

Slade had called once, during the day, but Robin had ignored it and the man hadn't called again. The teen just didn't want to speak to him at the moment, because he was afraid that he would do or say something that he would regret. He hoped that Slade would take the turn-down as Robin just being busy and nothing else. The teen winced. He probably wouldn't. Still, Robin had asked his council-members to handle this carefully and he had to set the example…

As the sun climbed above the roof-tops Robin's phone rang. The teen saw that it was Daniel, and answered quickly. A moment later he was on the move, his decision about remaining calm forgotten.

* * *

"Where is he?" the teen barked as the elevator-door opened. William startled behind his desk.

"Robin? What… you're looking for Slade?"

"Yes. Where. Is. He?"

"I'm sorry, he's busy, and-"

A moment later the taller blond was yanked from his chair and pushed up against the wall.

"Tell me. NOW," Robin growled.

"Board-meeting. Floor ten. Usual room."

"Thank you," Robin said and let the assistant go. "And William? Don't push the alarm this time, or fucking Duncan will be_ damn_ difficult from now on."

The elevator doors closed once more, leaving William wondering if it really was a good idea to let Robin have free access to the building.

* * *

"Slade, you _fucking bastard_!"

The room froze. A board meeting had never been interrupted by the door being kicked in before, and although those words had been_ thought_ in that room rather frequently, they had never been _spoken_.

"Well hello, Robin," the man said calmly.

"Don't 'hello' me!" the teen snarled. "You sent the busses?"

"Excuse me?"

"You sent the busses! To pick up the workers! They arrived this morning like nothing has happened!"

"Of course they did," the man shrugged. "Our agreement said nothing about cancelling the work hours just because of some accident. Now sit down and be quiet, and we'll discuss this later."

Robin's mind went blank as he leapt up on the table and threw himself at the man.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: oh, crap, another cliffy? I'm sorry. And I'm also sorry about the very depressing chapter. I hate to write stuff like this, and I hate reading it, but I needed something really big to happen, you know… Everything will bounce back, I promise.


	14. Touchy Feely

A/N: I'd like to recommend a story to you if I may… It's called "**Hellfire**" by **Lady Venamisa **and you might not have found it, because it's under Robin/Raven. It's NOT a rob/rae pairing, though, it's a friendship story BUUUUT it will have Sladin in it! And it seems to be dark, so far, so I'd go have a read if I were you… Well… after this chapter of 2061, anyway…

Damn, I should really learn to put recommendations at the end…

Oh, and this is not VERY long, just over seven pages BUT it does NOT end with a cliffhanger! I swear on Robin's sexuality!

And cookies for corrections!

* * *

**2061**

**Touchy Feely**

Robin had never felt satisfaction as intense as when his fist smashed into Slade's jaw. He saw the man reaching out for him, so he threw himself backwards on the table, holding himself up with one hand as he let his feet kick out instead, hitting the man in the chest and making his chair topple over. As Slade went down, Robin followed, landing kicks and punches in front of the stunned and mostly terrified board-members.

It wasn't even_ about_ Slade anymore; it was about all the grief, all the anger, all the _helplessness_ he had felt for the last twenty-four hours.

Of course it couldn't last, and, once more, it was the blind rage's fault. Robin was never at his best while fighting in anger. He didn't have the bulk to go into a berserk-like mood and still win, and without enough brute force he needed his agility and his speed; he needed to _think_… and when he was angry enough, he couldn't.

"That's enough, Robin." Slade's voice was cold, collected, and, though he had gotten to his feet, the man seemed unwilling to really fight back. Robin, however, had_ no_ problems with that, and didn't agree with the man's words. He launched himself towards the man and snarled as he attacked him again.

Slade blocked the punch and sent the teen into a wall, but, again, he didn't follow up with a punch of his own. Robin stood up, shook it off and attacked once more.

It was the board-members, the teen realized. Slade didn't want to fight him in front of them. The teen smirked and imagined the amount of pain he would be able to inflict on the man, but in that moment, just as his mind flickered over to fantasy-land for only a split second, Slade's hand shot out.

Robin found himself with his back pressed up against the man's chest, gasping for breath. One steel-like arm was across his throat and the other around his middle, holding his arms in place.

"I told you it was enough, Robin," the man growled in his ear.

The teen felt an icy chill through his body. Slade had been angry before, yes, but this time…

"Let… go..!" the hero gasped.

"No. I think I've had enough of you."

The movement was sudden, Slade let go of his middle and grabbed the side of his head. Robin felt a scream grow inside him as he realized what the man was about to do, but there was nothing he could do to stop him. His head was suddenly jerked to the side, there was a horrible, cracking sound… and everything went black.

* * *

He woke up with a startled gasp and a stab of pain down his spine which disappeared immediately, like it was only a memory.

Robin blinked up at a familiar ceiling. He was in Slade's apartment. In the man's bed. He felt an urgent need to flee, although he couldn't quite remember why yet, and tried to push himself off the bed, but a yank on his wrists stopped him.

"Don't bother, Robin. I have contemplated chaining you to my bed for a while now, and I thought it was time," he heard Slade say, off to the side.

"What… what happened?" the teen mumbled. He still couldn't quite remember. He turned his head to see Slade standing by the glass wall, looking out over the city, his back to Robin. At the young man's words the man turned around.

"I broke your neck."

"W-what?"

"I warned you, but you wouldn't listen. You _attacked_ me in front of my own board members, tearing down the front we have worked so hard to maintain in one idiotic move. You've been a very, _very_ bad pet, Robin."

"I'm not-!" the rest of his objection went unspoken as the teen saw the look on the man's face. Robin swallowed instead and then fearfully stared down at his legs. He carefully moved one foot and then the other.

"No you're not paralyzed. I had to break your neck again, though, because I left you on the floor until the meeting had finished and by then you had started healing," the man told him coldly.

"How… long?"

"Two days."

"What? I have to-!"

"_You_ don't have to do_ anything_ apart from thinking about your situation," the man told him. "Try to think of a way to make up this to me."

"To… to _YOU_!" Robin suddenly remembered. Everything. "You... the busses… you… you _BASTARD_!"

"I called to ask if you wanted a reprieve. You chose to ignore my call," Slade said, stepping closer until he was staring down at the teen.

"You should have _KNOWN_ that-"

"We have a _business-deal_, Robin, you can't expect me to disregard that just because you _feel it's the right thing to do_; these things have to be _negotiated_. You choose _not_ to negotiate, which means the old agreement stands. To make things worse, not only did_ you_ react violently, but my people were attacked by a mob of Mongrels when they came back yesterday. This is a very serious breach of contract… what reasons do I have not to tear the whole thing up?"

"So you chained me up to your _bed_?" the teen snarled sarcastically. "Let me guess, to make things good again, all I have to do is spread my legs, right?"

"I chose my bed because you needed to lie flat and still and I wanted you where I could keep an eye on you. The chains are because I didn't know _exactly_ when you would wake up. If you want to 'spread your legs', as you call it; do. I'd gladly fuck you. But it won't change a thing. Not this time."

Robin was ashamed at the sense of desperation those words brought him. When dealing with Slade sex_ always_ was the way to go, from a few suggestive words to the full act itself. He had learned that all too quickly and, though it had usually been a last option, it was now gone. So what was left? Robin swallowed. He didn't know.

"I… people were dead… dying… I… I didn't think… I…"

"Exactly. You didn't think," the man snorted. "And now my board members, who you had convinced that you were really a spy working for me, are highly suspicious. Well, except for Duncan... How do you propose we fix that? Although I _could_ kill them all off…"

"No!" Robin didn't want to be responsible for any more deaths. "Why didn't _you_ think? You could have just fucking _realized _that there would be some kind of mourning-period! And if I didn't pick up you could have talked to Rose or Rebecca or the committee, or-"

"So I should have chased after _you_ because I should _assume_ that you want to change the rules? That's not how it works, Robin. You have taken me far too lightly lately, and it's time that changed. I've told you that I am generous only to a limit and you have by _far_ crossed that line now. Call me an inhuman bastard if you like-"

"My thoughts exactly!"

"-but this is business. I'm trying to teach you how to take charge, how to _rule_, Robin. You can't run around trying to sort all the little things out, and you _particularly _can't demand favors without clearing it with _me_ first. You practically commandeered two thirds of the city's medical resources yesterday-"

"It was an emergency!" Robin objects.

"Yes, _your_ emergency. Either deal with it with your _own_ resources or turn to the one who can grant you some of ours: me. But did you? No, you told your committee that I would cover all the costs and they believed you. I won't punish them for that, though, I'll let_ you_ take the responsibility, but it seems that you have forgotten who this world _belongs_ to, or perhaps you think that you can have what you want as long as you flutter your eye-lashes at me?"

"Well, you_ said_ that you had trouble denying me anything just before the accident… Remember? In bed?" Robin said hopefully and Slade sighed.

"I do. Fine. I'll take _part_ of the blame; I've been too soft on you. I'll remedy that, and you will think about how to make up for your mistakes. It's about nine in the morning and I have a meeting. I'll be back around lunch."

At that moment Robin heard a signal he recognized very well.

"That's my phone!" he said and looked around.

"Seems so. It's been ringing quite a lot," Slade shrugged as he buttoned the cuffs on his shirt.

"If you don't want the problems with the Mongrels to grow out of control, you should let me answer it," Robin said levelly.

Slade gave him a thoughtful look but then went and fetched the phone which was on a pile of what Robin realized was his uniform. He himself was dressed boxers and a t-shirt which he had _not_ been wearing before. Well. Could be worse. Could have been a skirt.

"Here. Don't do anything stupid. Lives depend on it," the man said and handed the phone over. Robin shuffled up in a sitting-position, the chains running from cuffs around his wrists to the headboard were just long enough to let his sit up comfortably.

"I won't," he muttered and answered. "Emma? Yes, Yes I know, I'm sorry. There has been a problem with the signal, I had to send the phone to be repaired. How are you, what's going on?"

The teen listened for a while, and then sighed.

"Yes. I know. That was my fault, I didn't clear it with Slade, I thought… well, it was my fault anyway… Listen, I'm probably going to be gone for a bit... I'm going to try to clear everything up, but it's _very_ important that there's no violence against Citizens, all right? We might lose everything. Has any help been coming in? No? I didn't think so… No, stick to the mourning-period, of course! How is the food-supply? Good… good… ah, Rebecca… bless her… Yes, I'll tell her so. I really messed up, Emma, and I'm sorry… tell people to stay away from trouble and be safe. My phone should work now, but you might not be able to reach me all the time and keep the calls to a minimum… but still, if there's any emergencies, I want to hear about it… don't worry, though, just take care of yourselves, okay? Yes, I will… thank you… bye…"

Robin looked up but Slade had left some time during the conversation.

He sighed and put his head in his hands, yanking on the damn chains, feeling miserable. He had not even been able to confront Slade about the fact that the building-sites apparently hadn't been surveyed properly… and he couldn't very well bite the man's head off _now_, without causing more harm than good.

Slade was royally pissed at him, and, though very unwillingly, Robin had to admit that he had _some_ cause to be. Just a little. He didn't regret any of the punches or kicks, but maybe it would have been better if it hadn't been in front of the board…

He had only wallowed in his own misery for a little while before he suddenly realized that he had another pressing problem; he needed to pee.

The chains, no matter how thin and sparkly new they looked, wouldn't budge, of course.

"Will?" Robin called out. "HEY! WILLIAM!" No result. Then he remembered the phone and simply called the assistant.

"Yes, it's William?" the blond answered.

"Hi, Robin here… err… could you do me a favor?"

"Doubtful," the assistant said dryly. "My back still hurts."

"Ow… sorry… but I really need the bathroom… please?"

"What makes you think I have the key?"

Robin gulped.

"You… you don't? Can you call Slade? Get me some tools? Hell, I'll take a bedpan!"

At that moment he door opened and as Robin craned his head back he saw William's smirking face just as the man snapped his phone shut.

"Please tell me you have the key?" Robin pleaded.

"I do. Slade said that you would have to go soon… something about your body having been shut down after… well… " When he just got a blank look from Robin, he continued. "You are under strict orders to be good, though."

"I will," Robin mumbled.

William reached over and unlocked something above the bed, and then there were more slack in the chains, but, Robin noticed, they were still attached to the bed.

"You're kidding?"

"No, sorry. Slade's rules," William told him.

"Fine…" Robin wasn't in the mood to argue and shuffled into the bathroom. Luckily the chains were more than long enough, although he couldn't close the door all the way. No matter. He needed to pee more than he needed complete privacy.

When he came back out a while later, William was waiting for him.

"I guess you're gonna lock me back on the bed?" Robin muttered gruffly.

"Yes, take a seat," William answered. Robin did, and as soon as the assistant had locked and thereby shortened the chains again, the man visibly relaxed. "Are you hungry?" he asked, a bit kinder than before.

"No," Robin mumbled and sat up against the headboard, hugging his knees. There was something in the back of his mind, something he had forgotten, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what.

"Thirsty?"

"No, I'm okay… do you… do you think I could ask Rebecca to come by?"

"You have to ask Slade…" William said uncertainly. "You're not his favorite person in the world right now."

"I know…. I just… wanted to talk to someone…"

"Are you okay?"

"No." Robin felt his eyes burning. He wasn't okay. Everything was starting to sink in now, all the deaths… John… Amanda…

"Robin…"

"No, it's okay… I… I need to be alone…" the teen said a bit harshly, refusing to look up at the blond.

"Call me it there's anything you need," William told him quietly and touched Robin's shoulder before he left.

Tears started rolling down the teen's face as the man walked away, and, as the door closed, he couldn't hold back the first sob.

He curled up, pulled the sheets over his head and cried until he fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

Slade returned around lunchtime as promised to find Robin sleeping with tears still drying on his cheeks. The man frowned and then sighed. He knew the situation was delicate. Robin had done something he deserved to be punished for, and, at the same time, he had lost people he obviously cared about, and the man did not want the boy to be catatonic and grief-stricken… just slightly more manageable.

He sat down on the edge of the bed heavily enough for the teen to wake up. Robin startled a bit but then only blinked up at him. Slade kept another frown back. It was clear that the usual fire had left the teen for the moment, but, he figured, this might still be an opportunity to tie Robin closer to himself. The hero still had the weakness of needing to bond emotionally with people, and Slade, though he _knew_ the boy wouldn't easily connect with_ him_, would rather see himself in that role over some Mongrels. And now, as Robin had lost his closest acquaintances in that group, might be the time to step in.

"William tells me that you haven't eaten," Slade said in a firm voice.

"Not hungry…" Robin answered and curled up a bit like he was trying to get back to sleep.

"Your body is. It has burned a lot of energy, so you _will_ eat something or be fed."

"Slade, why weren't the building sites surveyed properly?"

The man blinked at the sudden change of topic and even more so from the fact that Robin's voice didn't sound particularly angry or accusing, only tired and dejected.

"I've been asking the same question," he answered calmly.

"But… it was the committee, the people _you _chose to help me, that said that it hadn't been done because the rebuilding wasn't a _priority_," Robin objected, but still without much of a bite in his tone. "They should have _told_ me! I didn't _know_ about the danger, Slade, I didn't _know_! Why didn't anyone_ say_ anything?" by now Robin's voice sounded broken and his eyes had refilled with fresh tears.

"It _wasn't_ a priority, I made that clear. They should use only men and machinery available, for example; if they were needed on a city-site that would come first. I didn't intend for it to be no bomb-sweep, however."

"But… didn't you know?"

"Robin, what have I taught you? You can't _possibly _look over everyone's shoulders, and those are _routine procedures_. Do you think I did it on purpose? When you could have been killed?"

"… guess not…" the teen mumbled. "…I should have known, though…"

"Really? Because you have lived in a bombed city before? You knew what kinds of weapons the Brotherhood used? You were familiar with today's building procedures?" Slade asked dryly.

"I _should_ have been… I should have known… I could have _stopped_ it…"

"More people will die. They will fall off buildings or walk in front a machine at the wrong time. Should you know about those things as well? And be there to stop it? Be careful with that kind of thinking, Robin, you can't save them all."

"But…." the teen started, but didn't continue. He just shook his head slightly and closed his eyes.

"What?"

"No… it's… it's just so _unfair_! I've already lost _one _family! I lost _everyone_… and now I lose so many of my _new_ family, it's… I don't know what to _do_!"

The teen looked up at him with pleading eyes and Slade felt a burst of triumph. This was exactly what he wanted; Robin turning to_ him_ for support and strength. He needed to handle it carefully, though; not too coldly but also not suspiciously softly, because Robin wouldn't trust that kind of behavior.

"You will eat, and regain your strength. Put what might have been out of your mind and focus on how to fix the mess you got the whole project into." To the man's surprise the teen smiled a little. "What?" Slade added and raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds like what I told people after the accident…" the teen admitted.

"See? You are not a _complete_ imbecile. Now live up to your own advice," the tyrant said with a short chuckle. He wasn't about to let the boy off the hook, however. "If you want to return to your people, you have some work to do. Until then, you will stay here."

"But can't I stay in my room?" Robin asked.

"Oh, no. It's still a punishment… I don't want you to get comfortable."

"In _your _bed? Fat chance…" the hero snorted softly.

"My point exactly," the man smirked. There was a knock on the door and a member from the kitchen-staff came in with a covered cart.

"Lunch, Sir?" he said and Slade stood up, gesturing to the dinner-table.

"We'll eat in a moment, Robin, I just have to change my shirt first," the man told his chained guest as he stood up.

"No trouble for my sake…" Robin muttered and raised an eyebrow, "or can I change too?"

"_You_ don't have blood all over you," the man snorted and turned around. The teen's eyes widened as he saw that the other side of the man's shirt was splattered with little red-brown drops.

"How… what…?"

"Oh, just another meeting… the man wouldn't see things my way… But his replacement will."

"I bet," Robin muttered and pushed himself to a sitting-position on the edge of the bed, which was as far at the chains would let him go.

The staff-member left with a polite bow, probably happy to get out of the strange situation, and Slade shook off his shirt. Robin watched dully as he couldn't do much else.

Slade studied him from the corner of his eye. Normally the teen would probably either yank on his chains, demand to be released, or at least find some way to insult him, but he was just sitting. Losing almost forty friends might take more than two days to get over, though. He himself, after all, still missed William Wintergreen Senior from time to time.

"I was wondering… could I go see Rebecca? Or could she come here?" Robin suddenly asked.

"Why? Need her to provide for you little dogs?" Slade asked with a sneer. "Don't think you can avoid our deal by going to her, because I will forbid her to send any more provisions if you do."

"I wasn't, I just… I wanted to talk to someone…"

Slade winced. He had been afraid of this. He had dealt with Robin's initial grief, when he had woken the young man up after being frozen, by mainly ignoring it and ridiculing it. At that time he had to treat Robin as a true pet, though, both to keep him under the radar of potentially dangerous people and to divert Robin's shock somewhat, to make him focus on something else while he settled in this new time. He couldn't do that to the same extent now, and, again, he didn't like the thought of the young man bonding with someone besides himself.

"You can talk to me," he offered in the end, trying not to sound reluctant.

"I think you misunderstand the situation…" Robin snorted. "I wanted to talk to someone who actually _gives _a shit."

"And you think I don't?"

"_Duh_!"

"Don't make noises. Use your words," Slade told him dryly.

"_Fine_! What I think is that you are rather glad I wasn't killed. When I happened to make you look a bit bad, though, you snap my neck! That's caring for you…"

"It's not? If I hadn't stopped you I might have had a mutiny on my hands right now… and how do you think your precious Mongrels would have fared then? By breaking your neck, I _saved_ them… for _now_, at least."

Robin glared at the man, hating the fact that he might very well be right.

"Fine. I still don't want to talk to you about my _feelings_…" he muttered.

"As you wish," Slade shrugged, "but for the moment… I'm all you have."

_To be Continued__…_

* * *

A/N: See! No cliffy! Just a slightly ominous sentence and the next chapter will just start with them having lunch… So now I have no reason to update quickly, right?

Actually I have a bunch of half-finished drabbles, so I just want to focus most of my writing-time on them for a bit… I seem to get stuck half way in with most of them… Good thing Slade doesn't!... Oh, sorry, it's Friday, and I'm in one of those moods… ;) I also want to draw this weekend… maybe a bit of webdesign… We were going to go to "Liseberg" in Gothenburg, one of the biggest amusement-parks in Scandinavia, tomorrow, but that was cancelled and we're going to go next Saturday instead… so then I will be surrounded by green and pink bunnies (their mascots)! Scaaaary things… They are to me like ducks to Robin… ;)

Speaking of ducks, I'm currently on the hunt for a metal duck-pin to put on my jeans-jacket… yeah, I know, very eighties, and, in fact, no one seems to sell metal pins anymore… still, I'm going to keep my eye out, I kinda want one.. ; ) There might not even BE one, but if you see one, please let me know, that way I at least know that they are out there.. and I like the chase… ;)

/W


	15. Old Memories, New Realizations

A/N: Phew, I made it! Didn't think I would…

I love all my readers (but reviewers a bit more, of course… ;) ) but I just have to send some extra thanks to **xxShadowheartxx** and **emery88 **this time, who both mentioned that they thought Robin, and also Slade, had changed in this story… **xxShadowheartxx **even pointed out that Robin isn't quite as likable right now (my interpretation) and that made me very happy, because it shows me that you readers NOTICE things in the story, and not JUST skip to the smexy parts… ;) So thank you guys!

Oh, and no pressure on anyone else, I love ALL your reviews, please don't go all literature-analytical on my ass, because I will feel stupid and go cry in a corner…Many write very funny comments and insightful things, often more insightful than I am… ;) But if you have nothing else to say, a "great! Update!" or "Hate it!" will do… ;)

* * *

**2061**

**Old Memories****, New Realizations**

Robin poked at his food with his fork like the piece of coq au vin was Slade's eye. It was rather mashed now, and, as with the man's eye, he didn't feel like putting it in his mouth.

"Eat," Slade told him after a while, and Robin reluctantly bit down on a piece. It was delicious, but he just didn't' feel like eating. The taste reminded him of something, though.

"You know what? I became a chicken-farmer after all…" he told the man with a small, halfhearted grin.

"Pardon?"

"Don't you remember? That was the career of my dreams…" the teen shrugged.

"I _do_ remember, but I still don't _understand_…" Slade arched an eyebrow at him, looking slightly irritated.

"We got chickens," Robin shrugged again and took another bite to eat. Then his eyes lit up a bit. "We named one after you."

"A chicken?"

"Yup… biggest cock of the lot… it was rather obvious…" Robin smirked.

Slade, although pleased that Robin wasn't sobbing under the table, still felt that a _bit_ more respect would be appreciated. He just snorted and let it go, however, because he thought that the sobbing teen-version wasn't too far away. It annoyed him to have to tread softly around someone, however, because it really should be the other way around. The world might not revolve around him, but it damn well tip-toed.

Robin continued to pick at his food in silence, eating when the man cleared his throat or gave him hard enough glares, but it was still difficult. He wanted to go back to his people, he _desperately_ needed to be there, but he knew Slade wouldn't let him until he, somehow, made amends. He took a deep breath. It was time to get to work on a plan then, and try to forget about being miserable for a while.

"So…" he started, "about the board… they think I'm dead?"

"Yes. I had to send Duncan out of the room, because he tried to help you. He barely calmed down even_ after_ finding out it was a trick."

"Well, it wasn't a _trick_, was it?" Robin muttered and touched his neck. "How did you even know I'd _survive_? I mean, what if the healing wasn't fast enough?"

"Oh, I was fairly certain," the man shrugged.

"Gee, thanks…"

"You got off easily, Robin; don't make me change my mind."

The teen opened his mouth but then closed it again and lowered his eyes. He had to choose his battles_ very_ wisely right now, and he knew it.

"Well… okay, so now the board think they have lost me, who was supposed to be their link to the Mongrels… how are they reacting?"

"Most of them demand that all work stops and an army enters to capture or wipe them out once and for all. They want the whole area leveled."

Robin's eyes widened, although he had expected as much, and he clutched at his fork. Then he had an idea, although a very uncertain one.

"I… I guess their respect for you has faltered a bit as well?"

"Killing you helped, but yes, I am holding it all off, and they are not used to see any hesitation from me. There's definitely trouble brewing."

"And if I… came back?"

"You're dead," Slade pointed out.

Robin smiled a little.

"Yes, but… would _Slade_, a man who never ages and controls the whole world, really let people _stay _dead unless he _wanted_ them to? You clearly already control life and death to some extent… why not show them what kind of power you _truly _have?"

A small smirk was slowly appearing on Slade's lips.

"I think I like it…"

Robin got up from his seat and started pacing, almost tripping now and again as the chains pulled at his wrists and got in the way of his feet.

"Okay, I can see that for the Mongrels to be safe, I _need_ you to be in complete control. For _now_, at least. If not, there might be some assholes out there who decide to go for a bit of Mongrel-hunting again, thinking that you won't find out or be able to punish them… So, yeah, I might have ruined a bit of your reputation, but I actually think that your rule have been on the slippery-slope for a while, maybe even since you woke me up… I think people questioned why you suddenly took a pet when you never had one before, and then you revealed to them that I was really some kind of… _associate_. I came out of the blue, and you acted, perhaps, differently around me… some people probably didn't like that… plus you forbid child-prostitution which was not at _all_ popular…"

"You sound like I should have kept you as a pet," the man smirked.

"Well, for you _own_ sake, you_ should_ have," Robin snorted. "I doubt I would have been able to leave if you had kept me in the cage… Rob-parts or no Rob-parts…"

"Ahh… happy days… although it was around then everything started to go wrong…" the man chuckled. "I should have kept you on a leash."

"From now on, I think you should," Robin said.

Slade blinked.

"Explain."

"I acted too willful around the board, like I was running things…"

"Well, you _tried_ to…" the man pointed out.

"Yes, and I was _wrong_. I didn't see that, I was too blinded in my fight for any kind of freedom… I didn't realize how that would affect you and that that would affect us Mongrels…"

"Well, you are inexperienced, and I have to admit that I didn't see all the risks either…" Slade said thoughtfully. "I might actually have to get rid of a few of the most willful board members… to set an example… but I suppose you will whine about that?" he added with a grin.

"No," Robin said and met the man's eye steadily. "If you give them a chance to fall back in line and they don't… do whatever you want. Rather them than my Mongrels."

"See, Robin? You _can_ learn…" Slade grinned. "Not long ago you refused even the _thought _of human sacrifices."

"Well, another thing that I just learned is that life isn't fair," the teen sighed.

"Good. Now to demonstrate that; sit down and eat," Slade told him.

Robin gave the man a glare but dropped down on his chair again, resuming his torture of innocent food.

"Sooo… you think I should introduce you… and you are going to act more… appropriately?" Slade asked over his glass of water.

"Yes, in any way you like," Robin nodded. "As the leader of the Mongrels, I won't be able to hide from your board anyway, and I think me being alive can spread some fear… and, you can tell them that you have full control over the Mongrels through me."

"That requires two things… firstly you will have to _have _full control of the Mongrels… I can't promise the board that and then have a rebellion from your dogs on my hands. Secondly, you have to be convincing… _completely_ convincing… and I know you struggled when you acted as my pet before."

"Well, I have a damn good reason to do it better this time!" Robin snorted. "As long as I don't have to do it in private."

"I won't ask for the same kind of blind obedience, but I will require a higher level of respect on your part," Slade told him sternly.

"Do you_ have_ to?" the teen winced.

"Yes. Punishments should be _felt_, after all. And remembered."

"Yes, Master," Robin mumbled and almost managed to look like he meant it too.

"Practice," his Master snorted.

"Yes, Master," Robin answered again.

"Better."

"Thank you, Master."

It was Slade who ruined the sincerity by chuckling.

"Eat."

* * *

Robin spent a lot of time on the phone after lunch, calming his council-members and trying to firmly impose on them how important it was that the Mongrels didn't cause any trouble. Slade had stayed to offer his advice, but Robin was relieved to see mostly approving nods from the man. Slade might not like Robin's softer approach to leadership, but he was content as long as it _worked_.

As the calls had been taken care of Robin drew a sigh of relief, but he hadn't even let that out before the phone rang again. He checked the display and hesitated.

"Slade? It's Rebecca… may I answer?"

"Yes, but put her on speaker… and no more charity, Robin. I can't have_ her_ go behind my back as well, or things will get… _difficult_."

The teen nodded and answered.

"Hi, Rebecca!"

"Robin! I've been so_ worried_! Slade said you were resting, but-"

"I'm much better, thank you. Just been busy…" Robin said vaguely.

"Where are you? Back with the Mongrels?"

"No, I'm in the building… in Slade's rooms," Robin answered after a short nod from the man.

"Is he taking care of you alright? Would you like me to come up with something to eat?"

"No, no, we're working hard, and yes, he's taking _great_ care of me…" Robin said as he saw that Slade didn't like the idea of a visit. "We're trying to figure things out…" he continued lamely, not sure exactly how much he could, and _should_, tell the woman.

"Is there anything more I can do? I was thinking of sending some-"

"No! I mean… thank you so much, but we are alright… and we're in mourning, so… maybe later, but for now…"

"But the trading? I have ordered some items myself, and-"

Robin closed his eyes. He really liked the airhead, but here her privileged side shone through. While eager to do some charity-work she still couldn't quite grasp that things could, indeed, affect her personally.

"Becky, I don't know which artist you have employed, but there's a big risk that he or she has lost family members, maybe even _died_… all trade is closed for now, but please have patience, and I- I mean, _Slade _will let you know when the contacts can be resumed, alright? We are in a delicate position here, so please don't get involved."

"Oh… I… yes, I... I didn't think…" Rebecca stuttered softly, and Robin felt a stab of pain in his heart at her dejected tone.

"Everything will be okay… Slade will see to that," Robin said firmly. "Check everything with him first, though, to be safe." He really needed to be clear about that Slade was the one in charge, not him. He just hoped he would remember that himself…

"Oh… yes, of course," the woman answered. "So you are getting closer again?" she asked hopefully.

Robin chuckled and glanced up at the man, who smirked back.

"Yeah. Really close."

"_OooOOOooh_? Then of _course _I won't disturb you!" the woman tittered. "Goodbye Robin!"

"Bye…" Robin said and hung up. "… and you_ already_ disturb me…"

Slade had retreated to the sofa as Robin had spoken on the phone, and the teen went to join him, only to suddenly find out that the chains weren't long enough. He bit back a demand for them to be taken off, even though he couldn't see any reason for them what so ever, and went to sit at dinner-table instead, turning the chair around to face the man.

"Aww, did you want to snuggle on the couch?" the man chuckled.

"Yes, but now I can't. Damn," Robin said flatly. "Anyway, what do we do now?"

"You have to stay in contact with your people to keep them under control, and help me handle Rebecca as well… you did that rather well, by the way."

"Thank you. What about the board?"

"I'll set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. Do you think that's enough time for you to compose yourself and get into character?"

"Yes, Master," Robin said lightly.

"Good… I have something to deal with, but I'll be back tonight," the man said and stood up.

Robin couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Err, Slade? The chains, couldn't you…?"

"No, at least not while I'm not in the room."

"But that's _stupid_! Do you really think I would _run away_?" Robin objected. "I'm going to do _everything_ by your rules for now, I _swear_!"

"Yes, yes, I don't question your intentions, but those intentions might lead to a little idea which just _might_ let you think that leaving these rooms would somehow _help_ the situation, if so only to go talk to Wintergreen. The chains stay on, but…" the man walked up to him and took hold of one of his wrists, "one is enough, I suppose."

"Thanks…" Robin sighed as Slade produced a key and unlocked one of the manacles. He hadn't planned to leave the room at all! Well… unless he got bored or something…

"We'll talk more about what will be expected of you tonight. I'll have William send you something to eat in the afternoon. Eat it. I'll let you keep your cell phone for now, but use it with care."

"Yes sir," Robin muttered.

"And don't sulk. No one wants a sulking pet."

Robin snorted and crossed his arms.

"I'll try to please my Master…" he drawled.

"Really, now?" the man smirked.

"What, thinking of ditching work?" Robin grinned back.

"No, sorry to disappoint you."

"What? _You_'_re_ ditching _me_? And I'm in chains and everything!" Robin exclaimed, pretending to be insulted.

"Oh, I know you are needy Robin, but you just have to rub one off in the shower. I think it's better if we focus on business for a while."

"Pfftt… you'll crack in a day…" Robin snorted.

"We'll see…" the man smirked. "I'll see you tonight, pet. Be good. Don't claw on the furniture."

"You should be worried about what I plan to do in your shoes…" Robin smiled pleasantly and waved the man off. Inwardly he scoffed. He could have Slade panting after him in a moment if he wanted to!

* * *

The afternoon was boring. Robin tried to keep busy so he didn't have to think, but even Emma told him that things were under control when he called for the third time.

As Slade had promised William came by with a plate of sandwiches and some juice as a snack, and by now Robin was slightly hungrier. He contemplated hiding the last sandwich under Slade's pillow or in a shirt-pocket but decided that that might not be in his best interest after all.

As the sun slowly began to set he poured himself a warm bath. Getting undressed, at least taking his t-shirt off, was slightly tricky, and he just had to leave it hanging on the chain, but at least he could keep it away from the water.

He sank down and closed his eyes. So… pet-time again. Slade was right; he _had_ struggled previously, but now more than his own comforts were at stake. Before it had been all about acting good to try to find a way to escape, _now_ people might_ die_ if he didn't. He was rather sure that was motivation enough.

Besides… Robin frowned a bit as an alien thought entered his mind. He didn't like it, but it was still there; it was like he and Slade were a_ team_ now, working together. Well, okay, Slade was probably focused on regaining total control and Robin was focused on the Mongrels, but still… The whole idea was somewhat disturbing; he didn't _want_ to be on Slade's team… especially since Robin clearly wasn't the leader.

The teen sighed. That was how it would have to be for a while, though; a few days until Slade had to let him back to his community.

And the whole not having sex thing… not that Robin _wanted_ to sleep with Slade, mind you, but that the man would be able to go without longer than him was simply _ridiculous_. Not that he was in the mood, but Robin thought that, perhaps, some soft flirting would at least teach the man a lesson.

"That looks nice."

Robin startled and looked up.

"Slade! Bathing is _alone-time_, will you _never_ learn that?"

"The door was open," the man pointed out.

"Well, yes, because of the _chain_…" Robin snorted.

"Ah, so it _wasn't_ an invitation to join you?" the tyrant asked innocently.

"Oh, I'd _love_ to pleasure you in the bath…" Robin said, his eyes hooded. "Lather soap all over your body, slide against you, our slick, hot, wet skin rubbing together… and then straddle your lap, stroking you under the water… but my Master just decided on a sex-embargo, so… sorry…"

"Damn your Master," Slade chuckled lightly and turned around. "Dinner is in an hour."

"I'll try to make it," Robin muttered. He _would_ have liked for the man to walk away with a bit more difficulty…

* * *

After the bath Slade unchained him, which was necessary for Robin to get dressed.

"I'll leave it off for now, pet, but don't jump out of a window."

"Fine. But I'm a generous soul, so I won't forbid you to do the same," Robin let the man know.

"How nice of you. Anything to report about the day?"

"No, as far as I can tell, everything is calm… though I would be able to tell for sure if I could just head over there and- no, no, I know, I know…" Robin made a calming gesture as he saw the look in Slade's eye.

"Good. Well, I've been thinking about your idea… we should talk about it more before dinner. Sit." Slade pointed at the couch and Robin sat obediently.

"Yes?" he asked worriedly.

"I still think we should go for it, but I have to prepare you for how I am going to treat you. Last time, even as my pet, you were given privileges beyond the normal pet status."

Robin thought back to the only other pets he had met with their Master; the two blond boys belonging to the scum-bag Erik. He remembered what the man had offered the first time he had seen them, and tensed.

"You… you're not going to…. You're not going to _share _me, are you?"

"No, and I don't think anyone will find it strange that I won't share my pet. I might mention promises of it, though, you might have to play along for a bit, but I assure you that I won't allow it to continue above groping. At the most." Slade looked like he was about to growl at the mere thought. "I'll try to keep you out of situations where you could meet other pets, though, because it's rather common practice to let each other's pets… _play_…"

Robin shuddered and hunched his shoulders.

"I don't want to do that."

"I know, and I'll try to make sure that you don't have to, but _if_… Robin, you_ can't_ hesitate if I give the order, or our charade will be exposed again… and if it is, it's all lost. I would have to replace most of the board, meaning uproar and power struggles all down the food chain… It won't be pretty and it might even mean a new war."

"I know… I… I won't hesitate…" Robin mumbled and ducked his head. He heard Slade sigh and then a couple of fingers pushed his chin up, so he'd meet the man's eye.

"I won't lie to you, Robin; I might enjoy parts of this little… game, but I don't like the situation as a whole. If you haven't been such a stubborn, reckless, foolish –"

"Yes, yes, stop with the flattery…" Robin muttered.

Slade threw his hands out in an exasperated gesture.

"You might not believe me, but I prefer things like it _is_. I don't want you to cover at my feet like a mindless animal, but I _do_ want you to obey me, and from now on that's not open to any form of discussion."

"Oh, come on, you'd like me at your feet a_ lot_…" Robin smirked.

"Yes, but somewhat less in_ public_," the man smirked and did something very weird; he ruffled Robin's hair. The teen felt stunned and blushed. The gesture was just so… well… familiar and… sweet? Innocent? And for some damn reason it made him tingle in a _far_ from innocent way.

The knock on the door, which turned out to be their dinner, saved Robin from trying to think of something to say.

* * *

Slade watched the teen intently as they ate. It's seemed his little 'it's you and I against the world'-campaign had worked, but why not; it was mostly true. Slade might, in the past, just have wiped out his whole board, consequences be damned. The Mongrels would have faced the same destiny if they caused enough problems. Before, the runaways were only a small annoyance that provided some entertainment for the most bloodthirsty of the citizens and nothing more. Now, however, even if Robin would be taken out of the picture, they had organized themselves in a much more threatening way, and without the control the teen provided they would be too much of a risk.

The Mongrels were good practice for the hero, for now, and it wasn't like Slade was in a hurry. He knew Robin well enough to know that the teen, sooner or later, would want them to govern themselves, which meant that Slade could reel him in even more. He had, after all, meant for Robin to be in charge of some projects, just not, perhaps, on this scale.

"You're very quiet," the young man pointed out and gave him a suspicious look.

"Just enjoying the company…" Slade purred back and smirked at the small blush that rushed over Robin's cheeks. He wouldn't mind grabbing the teen and… no. It was better to focus on _emotional _bonding for now, and, besides, he knew Robin would tease him if he caved. He had more control than that, after all.

* * *

Robin made a little sound of joy when he saw that his favorite dessert had been ordered; the heavenly chocolate and strawberry mousse. The sounds continued as the treat, piece by piece, disappeared into the teen's mouth.

"Do you have to sound like you're coming?" Slade asked after a while.

"But it's so goooood!" Robin moaned. "And besides, I don't sound like this in bed!"

"No, you're usually louder."

"Am not!"

"Maybe I should set up a video-camera and prove it?" Slade suggested and then gave a short chuckle at the expression on Robin's face. "You_ liked_ that idea? My, my, little bird, you continue to surprise me…"

"I didn't like it! It's gross!" Robin snorted.

"Like the mirrors?" Slade countered.

"Shut up and eat… Master," the teen muttered.

* * *

The time after dinner was spent with Slade reading and Robin making and receiving a few phone calls and otherwise mainly slouching.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you… William wanted you to know that Rose is fine," Slade said suddenly.

"What? Did she get hurt?" Robin blinked.

"No, I don't think so, but I didn't pay much attention."

"How could you not pay attention to Rose! She's- OH MY FUCKING GOD!"

"Language, Robin. You know 'Master' will do," the man told him sternly.

"You mean _baby_-Rose, don't you! I forgot about her! How the _hell _did I just… Fuck, I have to call Emma!"

Robin changed his mind, however. Emma might be his next in command after John, but _Susan_ was the now appointed leader of John's group where Rose belonged, so he decided to call her instead.

After a frantic conversation where Robin tried to assure Susan that the baby was fine and _she_ tried to assure Robin that no-one believed any differently, the teen asked Slade permission to call William. It turned out that the assistant hadn't left yet, so Slade simply called him into the room. As it happened, however, Duncan and baby Rose had just arrived to pick him up, so all three came in.

"Look, Rosie, it's uncle Robin!" Duncan cooed at the gurgling infant.

"Rosie?" the 'uncle' said faintly.

"Yes, we call her that so we don't mix them up," William said in a warm voice, which terrified the teen.

"Will, Duncan… you know she has to go _back_, right? As soon as possible."

"What? No, but she has no family!" Duncan gasped. "We can't just leave her to _strangers_!"

"_You_ are the strangers! All the Mongrels are her family, we'll find people to take care of her," the teen said firmly but not unkindly.

"But Robin, with the situation as it is…" William started.

Robin hesitated. It might be dangerous, something could, potentially, happen, but then why not evacuate _all _the Mongrels?

"I'm sorry… that's where she belongs and I'm sure they want her back."

"But… if no-one wants her…?"

Robin could see the tears in Duncan's eyes and sighed.

"I'll talk to them, but I'm sure Slade agrees, that if this causes any trouble…" Robin looked at the man and he nodded.

"That's right. The situation is tense right now and some might just be looking for a reason to revolt."

"So… prepare yourselves to give her back. You were never meant to be taking care of her in the first place, you know… I'm glad you did, of course," Robin added quickly, "but it's only temporary."

"We understand," William said quietly and snaked an arm around Duncan who was holding the baby. Rosie was happily blowing bubbles, much too small to understand anything of what was going on. "But… you'll ask, won't you? I mean, we can arrange for them to meet her when things has calmed down, and-"

"I'll _ask_," Robin interrupted, "but don't get your hopes up. The Mongrels are very tights and this is one of their own, separated from them in a difficult time. It won't be easy."

"And I don't want it to become some sort of negotiation. If they say no, it's no," Slade said firmly.

As soon as the others left, Robin sank down on the couch again and cradled his head in his hands.

"Fuuuuuuck….." he groaned.

"You should have left the pup with the dogs," Slade shrugged. "Duncan will be heartbroken now."

"Like you _care_!" the teen bit back.

"I _do_, he's working on an important project for me, and I can't keep him on the board if he's an emotional wreck… I think I should excuse him from a few meetings, actually…"

"Do that. Please. I don't think I can stand him looking at me after this is done either…" Robin sighed and called Susan again. He explained the situation, told her that Will and Duncan were wonderful people who had already bonded with the girl and wanted to beg the Mongrel community for permission to adopt her. He also made it very clear that if there were any objections, the child would be returned to them as soon as they had decided on a new family for her. Susan asked for a day or two to hold a few meetings and then they hung up.

Robin sat staring at the phone in his hand for a while. He was so tired that he was almost shaking.

"Go to bed. I'll tuck you in in a bit," Slade told him.

The teen just snorted but shuffled into the bathroom to get ready.

* * *

"This is_ not_ tucking someone in!" he objected a while later as he had stripped to his boxers and slipped under the covers. Slade had then come up to the bed and snapped a shortened chain around one of the hero's wrists.

"It's not?"

"You would make a very lousy and scary father."

"Thank you."

Robin rolled his eyes. "What if I need the bathroom?"

"Wake me up. I don't want you slipping off on some adventure when I'm sleeping."

"That's sweet of you," Robin grinned.

"It was?"

"Yeah, that you think I _could_ slip away, I mean…" Robin smirked.

"You probably couldn't… but I like to make sure," Slade shrugged.

"Sooo…. I'm half naked and chained to your bed again… gonna join me?" the teen teased.

"Not in _that_ way. I still have some work to do. Go to sleep, pet, you have a big day tomorrow," the man smirked.

Robin muttered something under his breath. The man was far too unyielding for his taste; he could at least look _wistful_… he _had_ after all, more or less _offered_. On the other hand, it was only to tease, not out of any real desire, but, Robin had to admit, had the man taken him up on the offer, he wouldn't have minded it all that much… if nothing else it would help him to fall asleep.

Despite feeling exhausted Robin didn't fall asleep at once. When Slade went to bed he was still twisting and turning, the chain rattling erratically. Too many thoughts were rushing around his head. He was angry at himself for everything and worried about messing up even more. He really needed a hug. Well, at least some assurance that everything would work out fine. Unfortunately Slade didn't pick up on that.

"Lay still and go to sleep or I'll find a reason to spank your bare ass in front of the board tomorrow," the man muttered.

"Never have kids," Robin snorted darkly.

"If I wanted some you'd already be pregnant," the man chuckled behind him.

"Oh thank you. Like my dreams tonight won't be disturbing enough," the teen growled and, some time later, finally fell asleep.

* * *

To be Continued…

A/N: see! No cliffy this time either! I'm so good to you… and I've started updating every weekend as well! BUT I STILL don't consider this a story, so you are NOT allowed to whine if I take longer… ;)


	16. The First Day is Always the Hardest

A/N: This chapter goes from the silly to the sinister and back again… ;) I hope you can follow (and understand) why it does…

* * *

**2061**

**The First Day is Always the Hardest**

Robin, as he had predicted himself, really _had _very disturbing dreams. He woke up right before dawn, clinging to Slade and crying his heart out. As soon as he woke up, however, he managed to control himself again.

"Sorry… dream…" he murmured, and tried to wipe the tears and snot off himself. And Slade.

"It's understandable. Go back to sleep," the man said almost softly. It could, Robin figured, be because he was tired, though. The man still had an arm around him, however, and it tightened as a shiver went through the teen's body.

"Do you like me?"

Slade blinked at the unexpected question.

"Do you think I would have revived you and spent time with you if I couldn't stand you?" he asked back dryly.

Robin gave a short chuckle.

"Maybe… but I don't think I'd still be alive…"

"Not in once piece anyway," Slade muttered.

"So what do you like about me?"

"Your stamp-collection. Go to sleep, Robin."

"I'm just trying to figure you out!"

"Good luck with that. Do it quietly."

"You are such a… such a…" Robin tried to find the right expression but failed.

"My world, my rules."

"Yeah, well, dibs on ruling the universe!" Robin grinned.

"What_ is_ this? Have you suddenly reverted to twelve years old?" Slade asked with a sigh.

"Sorry… just trying to cheer myself up by being silly…" Robin mumbled, and curled up a little.

"Well, stop it."

"I am a teenager, you know, I have needs."

"Is this about you being horny?"

"No! I mean… _social _needs!"

"Again; horny?"

"Oh, shut up."

"That's what I've been trying to get _you_ to do."

"I just wanted to_ talk_."

"And you can. At daytime. But not about dividing the planets up between us."

"I want Pluto."

"It's not a planet anymore."

"What? Why? When?"

"Before you were frozen. You should have kept up."

"Well, decide it_ is_ again!"

"Fine. Pluto's a planet and it's all yours. "

"Yaay!"

"And now you're _seven_… wonderful."

Robin chuckled a bit before turning serious again.

"Fine, I'll stop… I… just didn't' want to go back to sleep, you know?"

"Because of the dreams?"

The teen nodded , barely visible in the dark.

"John was like… well, a mix of a father and a friend, really… an uncle! And I _forgot about his only child_! The way they looked at me…"

"It was a dream."

"Felt real."

"Well tell them how dangerous it is to disturb your sleep, then… since it affects me, and I tend to kill people when I'm cranky."

"You tend to kill people when you're_ happy_ too."

"Oh… yes. It might not be a mood-thing, then…" Slade said and flashed the teen a grin. "Go back to sleep. Dream of something stupid like butterflies or ducks."

"Yuck! Not ducks!" Robin shivered.

"I'm not going to ask. Just sleep."

Robin sighed and rolled over. He still felt the heat from the man on his back and it was strangely comforting… like he had a large homicidal teddy bear in bed with him. He considered telling Slade this, but didn't think the man would appreciate it.

He tended to forget how dangerous Slade was from time to time.

He _knew_ that the man was manipulative and only looked out for his own interests, but it was against the hero's very personality to treat him as such. Disrespect, after all, had always worked for him. It had driven the Joker even more insane and made the Penguin purple in the face more than once. It was his _thing_. The seriousness and hard work was reserved for the work behind the scenes, so to speak. The research, the lab-work, the stakeouts, dealing with the victims and the police… when facing an actual villain, though… well, he deserved to let loose a bit, didn't he?

With the Titans he had often remained serious, though… he was their leader, after all, he couldn't be…_ childish_. With Batman, he had been the side-kick and even though that had come to grate on his nerves eventually, he had enjoyed being the 'kid'. He _was_ a kid, damn it! He was only…. Wait… how old? He had turned sixteen before Slade-mas last year, so he must be…. Seventeen? It felt strange, especially since he hadn't really grown, thanks to the healing-potion, which kept his body pretty much in status quo.

Somewhere around there Robin fell back to sleep.

* * *

"Have you figured out what to tell the board?" Robin asked over breakfast the next day.

"Yes, of course," Slade told him.

Robin waited for the man to continue, and when he didn't the teen huffed in irritation.

"Care to tell me about it?"

"No, you're just a pet, it doesn't concern you," the man shrugged, but the teen could see the small, teasing smirk half hidden by a cup of coffee.

"Please, Master?" Robin asked, using his eyelashes shamelessly, and, judging by Slade's reaction, rather comically.

"No. It's not to be unfair to you, Robin, but you need to practice. If I prepare you for _everything_ that I plan, you might not be able to act your part if anything _unexpected _happens, does that make sense?"

Robin nodded reluctantly.

"So… there's nothing I can do before the meeting this afternoon?" he asked.

"Of course there is, pet. Something very important; you get to figure out what to _wear_," the man smirked at him. "Oh, and that reminds me; we have to get your hair cut."

"But not too short, right?" the teen half asked, half pleaded.

"No, just so it doesn't look like it was chewed off by a horse."

Slade was busy elsewhere that morning, leaving the teen to have lunch by himself. As the man still insisted on the chain when he wasn't in the room, Robin's entire wardrobe had been brought into Slade's apartment instead. It contained everything, including the outfits Robin had gotten for the first Slade-mas, so it was a bit crowded. The teen swore as he once again managed to get the chain stuck in the racks and had to retrace his steps. One thing was certain; he wasn't going to wear any of the frilly-lacy-bottom-less things. He didn't think Slade would want him to either, he probably should look eye-catching but still dignified, he guessed. There shouldn't be any question in the board's mind why Slade would want to keep him, but gaudy wasn't he man's style.

The teen smiled as he spotted something he had worn before. It would be perfect.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Slade asked from outside the bathroom.

Robin, now freed from his chain, snorted.

"Yes, just give me a second!" A hairdresser had been by earlier and had, under William's watchful eye, turned Robin's rather wild locks into soft curls once more. Robin had acted perfectly demure the whole time, turning to William for all the decisions and not saying a word. Now he was getting dressed and took one last look in the mirror before grabbing a carefully picked out accessory and walking out the door.

"I'm ready Master. Please forgive me for keeping you waiting," he said softly. Slade turned around and, Robin had time to see before remembering to lower his eyes, the man looked quite stunned.

"You're going to knock them dead…" William said from where he was standing.

Robin was wearing the thin, white caftan-dress outfit with the golden metal belt which had been given to him by Duncan and reminded him of Princess Leia. He had found a pair of matching gold sandals and decided to wear them as well. Slade hadn't told him that he needed to be barefoot, after all.

"Are you wearing anything under that this time?" Slade asked.

"No. I tried, but even when the underwear weren't visible, the fabric still caught on them," the teen said, blushing a little and dropping his pet-act for now. He knew the garment wasn't see-through, just as long as he-

"Just stay away from the windows…" Slade smirked as he had had the same thought. "Or maybe not… maybe they should at least get a glimpse…"

"Or not?" Robin suggested, but at a look from Slade he ducked his head. "Alright… if you say so…"

"I might," the man shrugged.

"Anyway, there's this too…" Robin mumbled and walked up to the tyrant, holding out the accessory.

"Good. I thought you might have forgotten," Slade nodded and took the wide, black leather collar. "Now, Robin, I need you to listen very carefully, you too Wintergreen; when you wear this you are my pet, at all times, even if you should be alone in the room, and you will be treated as such, is that understood?" When Robin nodded Slade turned to William who nodded as well. "Good." Robin shivered a little bit as the cool collar slid around his throat and then closed with a click. "Go get you leash, pet, we're going," Slade ordered.

"Yes, Master!" Robin answered at once and then scurried off to find a short, matching leather strap and handed it over to his owner.

Slade put the leash on and with a yank, told Robin to follow. A harsh slap with the leash on his thighs also soon made it clear that he was supposed to walk right behind his Master on the man's left side. As they weren't in public yet Robin found it frighteningly hard not to curse or maybe even hit back, but he thankfully managed to control himself.

The board members were already seated when they walked in, and stood up as they saw Slade. When they discovered Robin, however, the room exploded in gasps and whispers.

"Be seated," Slade ordered as he sat down himself. Robin had thought that he was to stand behind the man as before, but a painful tug on his leash told him that that wasn't the case and he soon found himself kneeling next to the man's chair.

"Now, to the first order of business…" Slade said and glanced at the stack of papers in front of him. "Australia. Has-"

"Sir, please forgive me," a man in a dark suit interrupted. "I… is that a new pet? He looks very much like Robin, but-"

"It_ is_ Robin," Slade said like the teen's name was meaningless. "Now, on to-"

"But, Sir! You… he… didn't you_ kill_ him?"

"I did," the man admitted, and then huffed. "Very well. As you_ children _don't seem to be able to get to work before I explain… Robin stepped out of line. I'm sure some of you have thought of doing the same from time to time… In anger I snapped his neck, but I decided that death was too _good_ for him, and he still has his uses. He will continue to be our link to the Mongrels, as his mere appearance will control them, but, I assure you, _I _control _him_. I admit I made the mistake of giving him a bit too much leeway. He became spoiled and got attached to many of the dogs killed in the accident… that upset my dear pet. But he has calmed down now, haven't you Robin?" Slade asked and grabbed the teen's hair, bending his head back.

"Y-yes, Master!" the teen gasped.

The closest board members craned their necks to see him, some looking shocked and afraid, some gleeful, enjoying the pain of others.

"Sir? But you both told us that he was not a pet? That he only posed as one?"

"Oh, he _was_ a pet, long before you ever saw him, but, as you know, if I see potential in someone, I like to take advantage of that potential, like with young Duncan. If the protégé doesn't live up to my expectations, however, I'll gladly take it all away again. Or more. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that normally, the only way to remain alive in my company is _absolute_ obedience. My pet is the exception, although I doubt you would like to take his place. Any more questions?"

One brave soul raised a shaky hand.

"If you wouldn't mind, Sir… how? I mean… how did you… bring him back?"

Slade snorted and picked up a sharp pencil from the table, and then drove it through his own palm. The people in the room gasped and Robin was sure he could hear chairs being moved away. He had seen the move from his place on the floor and hid a grin. Slade had a thing for writing-utensils and proving points, that was for sure.

Slade smirked and withdrew the pencil slowly, watching the others wince and then go wide-eyed as they saw the wound slowly close in front of their very eyes.

"Pet, your hand."

The sudden order left Robin cold but he obeyed instantly. The intense pain that followed made him yell out before he slapped a hand over his own mouth.

"Shh, pet. I've done worse to you, haven't I? After all, one needs to practice one's skills," Slade purred. He made sure his audience saw the pen sticking out of the teen's hand before withdrawing it and covering the wound with his own hands. After a moment, when he was sure the teen's healing-abilities had taken care of the injury, he removed his hands and the men and women in the room gasped as they saw that the wound was now gone.

Slade calmly wiped his own and the teen's blood off on Robin's clothes and then turned to his so called loyal followers once more.

"As you just saw I have my ways. Bad news for anyone who is thinking of stabbing me in the back, I would think. Now. First point on the agenda. Australia. Report, please."

Robin shivered. Some sort of phantom pain still rushed through his hand as his brain couldn't quite keep up with the quick healing. He understood why Slade had done it, to demonstrate his fake god-like powers, but it made him fear what might be in store for him. The board, and indeed the world, already knew that Slade was… special. He didn't age, for example, but he had obviously never _demonstrated_ his powers like this, and they didn't know how extensive they were. Slade had even pretended to heal him, to make sure they thought it was all him, not Robin. A pet couldn't have 'magic powers' like his Master, after all…

The meeting dragged well out into the night. Robin tried to listen, but the only time it really got interesting was when the Mongrels were discussed, and Slade made that point brief.

"The dogs are under control and the issue will be dropped for now. No non-approved interaction is to occur. I have included reports from Rose Wintergreen regarding the Mongrels health, and that should make some interesting reading. It seems they are resistant to some strands of common flu, for example. As their community has existed for less than fifty years, the resistance is most likely not genetic but environmental, although some of the younger ones are third generation Mongrels. We are looking into food-sources among other things and experiments are ongoing… maybe the dogs have something to teach the humans…?"

Robin tensed and Slade's hand, which was currently playing in his hair, tightened in warning. The man had taken to either petting him or letting the leather leash snap on the teen's skin as soon as the hero as much as shifted his weight, leaving Robin with numbing aching legs and bruises, although these healed almost as fast as they formed.

Robin bowed his head a bit deeper as a sign that he understood the not-so-subtle hint, and got a pat on his head as a reward.

After the meeting several people approached Slade to subtly, and not so subtly, assure him of their loyalty. He was invited to several gatherings, but, Robin noted, didn't promise to attend any.

Last to approach him was Irena, and Robin was surprised when he realized that the woman, who he had interacted quite a bit with, wasn't in on the whole 'pretend-pet' thing.

"I told you that you spoiled him," the woman snorted, not being as intimidated as most of the others. "Giving a boy that kind of responsibility…"

Slade was still seated, and chuckled as he shuffled the papers on the desk.

"Even the sun has spots."

"It does?"

"Trust me on that. Well, was there anything you wanted? You are not going to invite me to a soirée or something, are you?"

"In my line of business there's always one going on…" Irena chuckled. "But no, although I enjoy your company, as you know. I wanted to inquire about Robin… you intend to keep him, then?"

"Yes. As I explained he is still valuable… and he has other uses as well, of course…" the man's voice dripped with smugness.

"I thought so… I would like you to think of me if those uses would run out, though. He should be legal by now, and it would be such a shame to waste a beauty like that. The highest security would be available, of course."

"You are a connoisseur, I know, but I'm afraid he won't be added to your collection, at least not yet…" Slade chuckled and ran his hand through Robin's soft locks once more.

"Well, he's welcome if you change your mind, but, if I may be frank, try not to maim him. His worth is only in his looks, after all."

"If he behaves, I'll restrain myself," Slade shrugged and stood up, tugging on Robin's leash, the teen struggled to stand up, but his legs had fallen asleep, and he stumbled, earning him a swift kick in the ribs from his Master. "Get up!" the man barked.

"Yes, Master, I'm sorry, Master!" Robin mumbled and finally managed to stand on shaky legs. He jumped as the leash whipped his ass once, the biting pain half expected but still harsh.

"Be quicker about it next time," the man muttered irritably.

"Bruising and scars count, you know…" Irena said dryly.

"Oh, I won't leave a mark on his skin…" Slade chuckled darkly. "Not for too long, anyway. Come along, pet… it's time you showed me some of those uses…"

* * *

Robin followed demurely up to the reception, but then faced a trial as Duncan came hurrying up to them.

"Robin? Have you heard anything about Rose? Robin?"

The teen kept his head down and inched closer to Slade, trying to get the man to take care of the situation. Him, Slade, Duncan and Will were alone, but Slade had been very clear about his role as long as he was wearing the collar.

"Please don't speak to my pet directly," Slade answered in Robin's stead, and went on to explain those rules to Duncan, as Will obviously hadn't had time to fill him in.

"Oh! Sorry… but… have you?"

"_I _will inform you, or William, when we have," Slade told the young man so sternly that he nervously backed away, whispering a 'sorry, Sir!'.

Robin frowned on the inside. Duncan was still stuck in his old frame of mind since his pet-days, but he had started to become much more confident over the last year, and he didn't need to be rebuked quite this harshly. Still, Robin understood that Slade couldn't treat the man with kid gloves, because he had to make sure he got the message and would stick to it.

"Sir, there's a man waiting to see you, a Mr. Singh, regarding gold mines? He's downstairs in the lobby."

"Ah, yes. Send him to my office. Come on, pet."

Robin wanted to scream, He was tired, hungry as hell as he hadn't eaten since lunch and it was now close to eleven at night. His body ached and he wanted nothing more than to have a bite to eat and curl up in bed. He had no choice but to follow, however, and was grateful for the bathroom-break he had just gotten.

He had almost expected the glass cage to have somehow appeared again, but no. Slade didn't go to his desk but sat down in one of the soft chairs used for some of the more informal meetings, and Robin was quick to kneel at his feet.

"Mr. Singh is a man with many pets. He is seldom in the country so you haven't met. He takes pride in the training of his companions, and they are usually quite devoted to him, so feel free to be… affectionate."

"Yes, Master," Robin nodded as William announced the man.

Mr. Singh was, as Robin had suspected, Indian. He wore a dark blue turban, or a dastar as Robin thought they were called, had a full beard and a very full body as well, making the long colorfully embroidered coat he was wearing look more like a circus-tent than anything else.

"Sir! It's been too long!" the booming voice almost startled Robin. "All is well here, I hope? Oh, but who is_ this_?"

Robin had remained kneeling as Slade got up to shake the man's hand, and kept his eyes on the floor, looking at the man's shoes, wondering if there were _any_ parts of the man's outfit which weren't embroidered.

"This is Robin, my pet. You haven't heard of him?"

"Ah, very little gossip reaches you when you travel among the Asian mines…" the man said regretfully. "Would you mind if I took a closer look?"

"Of course not, I'll go tell William to bring us some refreshments."

"Oh, he offered and I accepted, I hope you don't mind," the large man said and grabbed Robin's chin to be able to study his face. "Oh, he's a beauty, I envy you… to hell with the world, I say, but keep him!"

"Some days I agree…" Slade chuckled. He had sat down again, and Robin, as soon as he had been released, had scooted closer to him. He thought it might be natural for a pet to seek refuge from its Master, but he really just wanted to get away from Mr. Singh's smell. The man reeked of some kind of perfume which was so heavy it was rather nauseating.

"Oh, my, what happened to _you_?" the Indian man suddenly rumbled, and Robin held his breath, afraid that he had done something wrong or made a face of some kind. The man, however, was looking at the teen's robe, which still had blood on it. It had now dried and looked more muddy brown than red.

"That? Just a little accident," Slade shrugged.

The large man then did something very brave. He tutted.

"But Sir, all a pet wants is to be pretty, he must feel _terrible_ in soiled clothes… it's a good life, isn't it, sweetie?" Mr. Singh was now talking to Robin, lifting his chin again. "Wake up, be pretty, have breakfast, be pretty, have lunch, be pretty, suck a little cock, be pretty , have dinner and then be pretty and go to sleep and dream pretty little dreams… not so bad, eh?"

Robin forced a small, bashful smile on his lips. He didn't dare to even nod, as he didn't think that he was supposed to really_ communicate_ with others.

"He is very shy, isn't he Sir? You haven't had him long, I suppose?"

"For a little over a year, but I've mainly kept him to myself… He was quite a wild one, but I'm trying to socialize him now."

"Well, I can tell he's attached to you, Sir!" Singh said enthusiastically. "Aw, I left one of my favorites down in the lobby, meetings bore him, I'm afraid. Maybe I should send for him?"

"That's kind of you, but I'm afraid Robin has had a long day, and he's very tired… I think he would prefer to play another day."

"Of course, I'm here for a almost a week, and I think we need more meetings… so, the reason I'm here…"

The men started talking about the demand for gold in industry and medicine and the development of new mines. Robin rested his head against Slade's thigh, playing the tuckered out, affectionate pet, and since he really_ was_ tired, he only had to _partly_ fake it.

After a while a tray of sandwiches along with coffee and tea was brought in. Robin didn't expect to get anything and he didn't, but he couldn't help a wistful glance towards the tray. The men, and mainly Mr. Singh, helped themselves. Robin's stomach grumbled, making the burly man laugh.

"Ah, the little one is hungry. May I?"

Slade must have nodded, because Singh broke off a piece of his sandwich and offered it to Robin. The teen glanced up at his Master for another nod before reluctantly leaning forward and taking the treat with his lips. He quickly chewed and swallowed, because _god_ he was hungry, but the man didn't draw back his hand.

"You missed a spot, dear," he pointed out. Robin saw the smudge of butter on one of his fingers and quickly darted forward to lick it up. He tried very, very hard not to think about where that hand might have been.

Slade 'saved' him from further experiences by feeding him himself, and getting some food in his stomach perked Robin up a bit. He decided to use his 'pretty-pet-powers' to tease the man a little, since he really had deserved it. The next time the man gave him a treat Robin quickly engulfed his fingers as well, and started to suckle on them quite enthusiastically, but without being too obvious. Mr. Singh eventually noticed, however, and chuckled.

"Ah, my Rahn is just like that, though he wriggles his ass when he gets really horny… more than once I've had to send for a stud from the stables to keep him happy when I have been too busy or tired… he's such a needy young thing…"

Robin really, _really_ hoped that the man was talking about a human breeding-slave, which Slade had mentioned, and not anything else.

Teasing Slade had left the hero a bit hot as well, though, which wasn't supposed to happen. Fortunately the sandwiches ran out and the men had more to discuss so boredom settled once more.

Robin almost swayed as he stood before Slade back in the apartment an hour or so later.

"It went rather well today, I think," Slade said and took the collar off. "We might need to work on some detai- OW!"

Robin had just kicked his shin.

"What the hell?" the man growled.

"You speared my hand with a pen!" Robin yelled.

"A pencil," Slade said calmly.

"Don't mark words!"

"I'm not, I'm _correcting_ you," the man let him know. "Go clean up and change for bed."

"But I'm still hungry!" Robin objected.

"If you think you are going to get fed after what you just did, you are sorely mistaken," Slade growled, his eye narrowing dangerously.

"You treated me like shit…" Robin muttered but walked towards the bathroom, just to be out of the man's range.

"What did you expect? Be glad it wasn't _worse_. I protected you more than you might think."

"Yeah? _Sure_ you did…" the teen sneered and kicked off his sandals.

"Singh was a guest, you are a pet… and I believe it is customary in his society to offer one's pet to one's guest for the night or at least for a blow-job," the man said flatly.

Robin's hand hesitated as he was about to unclasp his belt.

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right. Maybe I shouldn't pretend that I've forgotten that tradition next time?"

"No, I… but it really _hurt_!" Robin tried to defend himself.

"Yes, but it was completely healed in a minute or so… I think his _taste_ would have still lingered…"

Robin paled and retreated into the bathroom where he didn't have to see the man's smirk.

Not much later Robin was in bed and already felt sleep claiming him. Slade hadn't touched him, at all, and was lying on his side of the bed. It grated a bit on Robin's nerves that the man didn't even grope him. It strangely enough made Robin feel more… _powerless_. He thought that was weird as he was no way close to being the dominating one in the bedroom, so why did he feel even_ less_ in control now? He didn't have time to figure that out as he fell asleep and slept like a log all night.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Check out my dA-page if you want to have a say about something in the next chapter… I'll leave that up for a day or so longer… Also, I've started a "Terms of Endearment" cartoon, although only two things are up yet… ;)

VACATION! As of now, I have ONE WEEK... only one week, as I'm only working over the summer... but still! Tomorrow I'm going to ANOTHER amusement-park, this one much closer to where I live, but I still haven't been there in many, many years... it used to be pretty crappy but people tell me it's gotten much better now, so we're taking a little trip.. ;)


	17. Fun With New Friends

A/N: I thought I would have lots of time to write during my vacation this week! Ha! It's now almost over and I've been dragged all around by friends and family to, as they claim, 'have fun'… -sigh- ;) Oh, okay, so I've HAD fun, but still…

Also the situation in Norway has stolen a lot of my attention since yesterday, of course… a terrorist attack by a native right-wing extremist, where he (or they) both bombed an official building and opened fire at a political youth-camp… right now over 80 is confirmed dead.

…It's been a bit hard focusing on writing, I have to admit…

But, still, to put in a wider perspective, hundreds die in terrorism-acts and wars every day, this just hit closer to home… but that also makes me a bit sick about how jaded I am about what's happening in the Middle East for example… -sigh- on the other hand, I've never liked to hang around in reality too much, so let's move into the future for a while, shall we?

* * *

**2061**

**Fun With New Friends**

Robin was so busy eating the next morning that he barely listened to Slade at all, which the man, of course, noticed.

"Robin!"

"Huh? Yeah?" the teen said with his mouth full.

"I said that I have ordered more robes like the one you wore yesterday for you. The look fits you, and the color as well."

"White? _Really_?" the teen smirked between bites.

"You are so much more innocent than you think, little bird…" Slade smirked back at him. "Speaking of the robes, yours should come from the laundry-room soon, so finish eating and take a shower."

"We're… going out? Again?" Robin asked.

"Of course. The more people I can convince that you are now a perfectly well-behaved pet, the faster I can release you back into the wild, so to speak."

Robin groaned. He had thought that yesterday's board-meeting would be the main thing, and maybe he would be allowed to slip away soon. He quickly called up Emma and told her that he would be busy the whole day again, and asked for any news. Things were still quiet, however. Another call made sure that no decision regarding baby Rose had been made either. Many in John's group had suffered big losses and, as the child was taken care of, Susan didn't want to push for a decision.

Once showered and dressed, Robin took a deep breath as the collar snapped around his neck once more. He would go insane if this lasted more than a day or two more. Tops.

He was dragged all over the building for meetings with heads of different departments. Lunch was served to him on the floor, but he was, thankfully enough, allowed to use a small fork, because even Slade realized that the mess would have been too big otherwise.

In the early afternoon Slade had another meeting with Mr. Singh. This time they met in the guest-rooms the man had been set up in, and Robin had to try his best not to gawk as the man apparently had brought most of the furniture and especially fabrics with him. The teen felt like he had been moved onto the set of some kind of Bollywood movie… it was all very stunning and exotic, but not exactly what you expected to find in a room in the Empire State Building. Singh was not alone either; there was also a stunning young man in his twenties, who was wearing nothing but a collar and a loincloth, embroidered, of course. He was obviously the man's pet, or one of them, and Robin tensed a bit at first, wondering what might be expected of him. Both men seemed happy to discuss plans and keep their pets at their feet for now however.

Singh had introduced the young man as Darin, and Robin couldn't help but steal curious glances of him. He had long, straight black hair which reached just down below his shoulder-blades, and it shone like he belonged in a shampoo-commercial. His eyes, which seemed warm to Robin, was a golden-brown hue and his sculpted face spoke of health and youth, although it didn't have anything child-like about it. His body was a wonderful bronze color with just enough muscle-definition to look strong without being too manly and angled. In fact, the way the young man sat and moved created the illusion of a softer, more feminine form.

The pet noticed Robin's glances, grinned and winked back, making Robin blush. Darin, although completely respectful and obedient, was much more relaxed around his Master than Robin dared to be and the teen found himself envying him before remembering that he wasn't really a pet, he was just pretending.

"Aw, looks like our pets wants to say hello…" Singh said as he noticed the glances.

Robin pressed himself against Slade's leg. He _didn't_ want to 'say hello'. Well, the other young man didn't exactly look intimidating, but he was terribly afraid to break some sort of protocol he didn't know existed.

"I think Robin is a bit tired…" Slade said and petted his head.

"Not too tired to make friends, surely, Sir?" Singh said. "You won't tire him out, will you Darin?"

"No Master. I'd like very much to meet him, Sir," the young man said and shot another wink and grin off at Robin. His voice was soft but not feminine in any way, with a slight song-like accent to it.

"Well, then, as I told you yesterday, he hasn't been properly socialized yet… I'm afraid he knows almost nothing about the rules concerning other pets."

"Then Darin will be an excellent tutor! He knows both eastern and western pet etiquette, and, as you have heard, his English is excellent. Let them get to know each other for a bit, Sir… what could it hurt?"

"You are right, of course," Slade said in a voice which Robin knew meant he was fuming on the inside. This actually perked the teen up a bit. It was clear Slade didn't want him to 'meet' the other pet, and, of course, that meant Robin was suddenly looking forward to doing exactly that… especially since the man so nicely had let him off the hook about how to behave… if the other pet tried something Robin didn't want to go along with, he could just punch him in the face and claim that he didn't know better…

"Why don't you take Robin over to your corner, pet?" Singh suggested to the young man,

"Yes, Master," the pet replied and rose gracefully, took a few steps forwards and held out his hand to Robin. The teen took it, blushing again because he felt like they were a couple of five-year-olds who had just been forcibly introduced by their mothers. Robin tried to move equally gracefully and didn't think he did a bad job.

Darin led him to a corner of the room, which was still in plain view from where their Masters were sitting, and sank down on a collection of large pillows and blankets, which were lying on top of a large, rounded, padded mattress-like thing with raised sides. Robin suddenly realized that it was a very large pet-bed.

"I'm Darin," the young man said, stroking a strand of his long, black hair out of his eyes.

"I'm Robin," the hero replied, accepting that they were apparently supposed to re-introduce themselves in 'private'.

"I'm very jealous of you, Robin…" Darin smiled.

"Oh… why?" the hero blinked, earning himself a soft chuckle from the other pet.

"You belong to the Ruler, of course! And you're his _only_ pet… Ah, what I'd give to be in your position…"

"I… I'm sure your Master is not… bad?" Robin said, trying not to picture the large Indian man naked.

"No, no, I adore him! He bought me straight from the pet-training school when I was fourteen, and I've been with him since then. I'm just glad that I was old enough for him to keep when the age-law was introduced…"

"Umm… yeah…" Robin mumbled. He didn't want to get into a political discussion with the young man. Darin seemed to sense that it was a sore spot for whatever reason and gave an apologetic shrug.

"My Master takes good care of me," he said. "Just look at this bed! Although I assume yours is bigger, of course…"

"I… I sleep in Master Slade's bed…" Robin said, not sure if he should tell Darin this. On the other hand, if he told the other a lie and he and his Master were invited to Slade's apartment…

"You _do_! Wow… just wow…_ really_? Every night?"

"Yeah… unless I've been bad…" Robin added with a little grin.

"Pfft… If I was the Ruler's pet I'd _never_ be bad… I wouldn't dare!" They shared a grin, though. They were both young, both in submissive positions, and they knew that, just sometimes, they _had_ to be a little bit disobedient… "I get why he picked you, though… you're very pretty…" Darin continued, and his eyes became even warmer.

"Thanks… you… you're very handsome… I… I thought about growing my hair out a bit…" Robin said, flustered and grasping for conversation-straws.

"It would suit you…" the other had somehow come closer to him on the pillows, and now ran the tips of his fingers through Robin's hair. "I'd like to kiss you. May I?"

Robin swallowed. He glanced over at Slade, to see the man watching him with a narrowed, grey eye. Did that mean that Robin should agree or decline, though? The teen had no idea. He looked back at Darin and felt his face flush again. The young man really was beautiful, and, Robin figured, it might be kinda nice to feel what it would be like to kiss someone else. It might be exactly what Slade wanted him to do, or it would piss his 'Master' off, either way Robin didn't really see the downside. He wasn't disobedient; after all, he couldn't read the man's mind! So he nodded.

_Everything _was different. The softness of Darin's lips, where Slade's were much harder. The way and timing when they opened, the way the other tilted his head, the way the tip of his tongue just came out and touched Robin's lips playfully. The hero couldn't honestly say that it was _better_, just _different_… like choosing between your two favorite pieces of candy. It was just that, up until then, he had only _had _one kind, so it was rather overwhelming. The teen half fell in love in an instant.

He knew the feeling had nothing to do with real love, because he had felt it when with Slade too, sometimes; if was more a mix of sexual desire and euphoria overwhelming all his senses at once, and he knew he would come back to himself in am moment or two.

"I wish our Masters would let us play some more… I would love to feel you inside me…" Darin whispered.

"_Me_? You mean…_ I'd_ get to top?" Robin asked dumbly, keeping his voice down.

"Of course! If you want to? I'd love to top you too, of course… Your Master never… let's you?"

"No!" Robin half gasped half laughed.

"Oh? Well… some don't like it, I guess…" the young man looked confused and Robin couldn't help but glance at Darin's round Master… no, he didn't want to picture_ that_ scenario either…

"I guess…" Robin shrugged and smiled a little. "Kiss again?"

"They are sweet together, aren't they? Oh, and your little one doesn't seem so tired, Sir. Quite aggressive… or just eager, perhaps? One might think you don't keep him happy between the sheets!" Singh laughed.

Robin heard Slade only mutter something and smirked. Slade was _not_ a happy camper. _Good._ He had pushed Darin more or less onto his back now, and the other pet was kissing him enthusiastically, running his hands over Robin's body, which was, however, somewhat shielded by his long tunic. Robin touched very little in return; he wasn't brave enough, or even_ into_ it enough, to go further. Darin had no qualms, though, and the hero felt the back of his tunic being pulled up, slowly. As they were facing away from their Masters, the men were about to get a very nice view.

Suddenly a hand grabbed Robin's collar and he was yanked off his new playmate.

"I think that's enough, pet," Slade growled. "We have to go, to make the next appointment on time. Thank you, Singh, I'll see you soon."

"Thank_ you_, Sir, and perhaps we can arrange a proper play date for our pets later… Darin seems quite smitten, and so, dare I say it, seems little Robin…"

"Yes, well… we'll see," Slade said gruffly and then the hero found himself almost dragged out of the room by his collar.

"And what was that supposed to be?" Slade asked him in the elevator.

"I'm sorry, Master, but I don't know what you mean?" Robin said humbly, his eyes lowered.

"Oh for the love of…" the teen felt his collar being all but ripped off. "Explain why you thought it was necessary to shove your tongue down a stranger's throat," Slade growled.

"I didn't! I mean, I _did,_ but… well, what was I supposed to _do_!" Robin demanded to know.

"You were practically humping him…"

"Well, for your information, he'd_ let_ me…" the teen smirked.

"Not going to happen."

"Damn. But seriously, I didn't know if I could say no!"

"Maybe I should let you play with Singh himself next time? I have a feeling you'll find a way to say no to _him_…"

"Don't be jealous… Just because Darin is young and pretty, has two eyes and is not an insanely evil bastard, doesn't mean I love you any less..." Robin snorted.

"Really, now?" the man said dryly.

"Yeah, I couldn't _possibly_ love you any less than I already do; the negative scale doesn't go any lower …" Robin muttered.

"You are so sweet."

"Let me guess; no dinner?"

"No, we're _going_ to dinner. At the Wintergreens."

"Really? Great!"

"It's a joint dinner with a few other families, some of them board-members. You are going to wear your collar."

"You are mean."

"Well, _you_ are half hard."

Robin cursed as he looked down. Without any constricting fabric, he hadn't noticed.

"Well, I miss my new boyfriend…" he muttered. "And Singh was right; you _are_ doing a bad job between the sheets right now…"

"All you need to do is beg," Slade smirked.

"I don't have to. You'll cave."

Instead of answering, Slade put Robin's collar back on, just before the elevator-door was opened.

"Good evening, Sir," William greeted them. "Here are a few messages. I don't mean to bother you, but have you heard anything…? About Rosie?"

"No. As I said, I'll let you know," Slade answered. "I will prepare for the dinner now, hold my calls for the rest of the night.

"Yes, Sir," William nodded.

Robin shivered as he obediently followed Slade into the apartment. William hadn't so much as glanced at him once. Was it so easy to become an invisible pet?

* * *

The dinner was horribly long, Robin thought. There were many courses, and it seemed to take forever to finish each one. They weren't in the comfy home of the Wintergreen's either, but in one of the rooms where the Slade-mas party had been held last year. This didn't bring back fond memories for Robin.

The table was huge, containing ten or so families, but no young children. The youngest must have been about twenty or twenty five, Robin thought, not including the pets. There were five of them as far as Robin could see under the table, as he was sitting at Slade's feet again. One young man and woman were practically having sex right there on the floor, but Robin was thankfully being kept on a very short leash and obviously not supposed to be doing anything. Another one, a pretty girl, who Robin was rather sure was a boy, could only just be over the age-limit and looked younger. Not all pets were very young, but all were extremely beautiful. There was a stunning man in his early thirties which Robin had seen as he sat down, for example. That man was standing behind his Master and looked more like a body-guard apart from the collar.

And then there was Darin. Robin had almost jumped when he had seen him, sitting on the floor across from him, further down the table. The young man had smiled and waved and Robin had dared a little smile back.

He had asked Slade earlier why it seemed that male pets were more common. Slade had shrugged and said that it was more tradition than personal taste. Some found that it gave them more of a rush to dominate a male, even if they should happen to be a woman themselves. Before the invention of the long-term birth-control drugs, which were much more reliable and with less side-effects than the ones back in Robin's time, there was also the risk of unwanted pregnancies. Hormones were something else to take into account when picking a pet; males were generally thought to have more even temper, and it was also considered that males had a natural stronger sex-drive. Robin still found it strange; he would have imagined a sex-slave community to be mostly very well endowed women in very small bikinis…

No matter. Robin had nothing better to do than let his mind wonder. Now and again he was given a treat from Slade's plate but the pets didn't get their own dinners, apparently it was up to the owners to provide for them.

_Well…_ Robin thought dryly to himself, _if people bring dogs to a dinner-party, I guess it's not the host's job to feed them…_

"Do you think Robin would like some water?" the teen suddenly heard Rebecca ask. The woman was seated next to Slade, with her husband on her other side.

"Please excuse my wife," Randolph said with a little snort, "she has a soft spot for animals."

_Oh, I hope you end up on the couch for that one…_ Robin growled to himself. The elder Wintergreen had given him a rather odd, smug look as they had walked in, and Robin had had to lower his eyes so he wouldn't glare back.

"You know I take care of my pet, Becky, don't you worry," Slade chuckled and petted Robin's hair.

"Of course, Sir…" Rebecca answered quietly. Robin blinked. He couldn't remember that the woman had ever called Slade 'Sir' before, and he didn't like it. She and her husband, though hosting the affair, were the only Wintergreen's attending. Robin found himself missing Will, Duncan and Rose, but, on the other hand, he didn't want them to see him like this more than necessary.

If the dinner was boring the after-dinner discussions in the lounge-room was even worse. Slade was reclining comfortably in a soft chair while Robin was sitting between his knees, his head resting on the man's thigh. The teen was half asleep when a man Robin recognized from the board approached Slade.

"Sir, we were wondering if you would like to join us for a drink and look over a proposal?"

"Of course," Slade nodded and yanked on Robin's collar. "Up, pet."

"Why don't you send him over to the other pets in the corner, Sir?" the man suggested. "He'd only get in the way."

"I guess I could let him loose for a bit," the man chuckled and unclasped the leash from the teen's collar. "Go play, but play nice," he told Robin sternly.

"Yes, thank you Master," the hero replied, not all too happy at being sent into what might very well be the lion's den.

"Randolph, would you take him to the others?" Slade asked his chief of security, and Robin obediently followed the man. Just before they reached the other pets, the older man turned around and glared at the teen.

"I know that this is just an act, but I must say you deserved it. I lost good men, thanks to you. I hope Slade keeps you on a leash from now on… and I wouldn't mind seeing you suffer." With those words he turned his back on a shocked Robin and left. The teen had had a feeling that the man wasn't too happy with him, but didn't know it went this deep. He pushed the uneasiness away, though, and turned to his 'colleagues'.

Darin greeted him with a sound of joy and a little smile. All the pets were curled up on a sofa that had apparently been reserved for them, and the brown-eyed young man scooted over to make room for Robin.

"I was hoping he'd let you come over!" Darin said.

"Me too," Robin lied with a smile. "I'm tired… I hate these long days…"

"Yeah, I'd much rather be back home with Master and Mistress," the girl-boy, who definitely was a boy, piped up. His skirt was very short and he wasn't wearing anything underneath, something he didn't seem concerned about at all. The eldest pet had his hand on his bum under the skirt, kneading it almost absentmindedly. When the young one spoke, however, the other withdrew his hand and gave him a quick spank, making the boy yelp and then giggle.

"Don't complain, Baby. Our Masters brought us because they want to show us off. Be proud."

"I know, Seth, I know…" the one named, or nicknamed 'Baby', muttered. "Spank me again?" he added hopefully and wriggled his ass.

The only girl in the group giggled. She was deeply entangled with the same young man as earlier. They seemed very happy together, and Robin gave them a nod and a shy smile.

"Sandy, Sander, come here and don't soil the sofa!" a woman called and the young man and woman immediately stood up and walked over quickly, sinking down on their knees in front of the woman. Robin didn't recognize her, but a moment later another man from the board came up to her and snaked an arm around her waist, interrupting her telling off her pets.

"Aw, honey, they were just having fun… we should be happy that they get along so well,"

"Indeed you should!" Singh said in his typical booming voice. "I had to get rid of a pet a few months ago… it was just impossible to keep her…"

"She was a bitch…" Darin whispered in Robin's ear. "We all just hated her… in the end not even Rahn could get it up around her, and, trust me, he can get it up for _anyone_ and _anything_…"

Robin stifled a snicker, but then the reality of it worried him.

"So… what… happened to her?"

"She was bought by a merchant as his first pet, so she was as happy as can be last time I saw her… though I think she bosses him around too… if he doesn't learn to control her, he might very well wake up married to her one day…"

"Poor him…" Robin grinned and then his attention shifted back to Singh and the others.

"Why not let our pets put on a show for us?" the Indian man suggested, gathering several interested people around, who were all eyeing the pets eagerly. Robin noticed Randolph giving him a nasty leer.

"Why don't we see what the new boy can do?" someone suggested.

Robin found himself surrounded and desperately tried to look for Slade while pretending to be obedient and docile.

"Shall we?" Darin purred in his ear, while 'Baby' and Seth paired up as well.

"I should ask Master," Robin mumbled as he tried to sidestep a guest who had decided to cup his ass.

"Robin! Heel!" came Slade's voice and Robin positively ran to the man's side and sank down next to him. He pressed himself gratefully against the man's leg as the tyrant fastened his leash to his collar.

"Oh, but Sir? Why not let them play a bit? I'm sure young Robin would do just fine!" Singh objected.

"He would, but he's being punished. He's not_ allowed_ to play," Slade let the room know.

"What did he do? It must have happened after our meeting this afternoon…?" Singh said, fishing for some gossip.

"It did. You know how they can be, not taking no for an answer. I was busy, but he was very eager… he's on a time-out," Slade told them all with a snort. The people in the room chuckled a bit and Robin blushed, lowering his head. He wondered if biting Slade's leg would be a bad idea? Yeah… probably… and the man had just saved him, after all…

It seemed, however, that Robin hadn't been spared from _watching_. Slade and those interested went into a smaller room where they sat down in deep arm-chairs which were standing around the walls. To his great surprise Robin was pulled down on the man's lap instead of at his feet. The teen blinked, but, after a warning look from the man he smiled and curled up close to Slade's chest, pushing his head up under the man's chin. He suspected that sitting in his Master's lap was supposed to be very good thing, and wanted to act like he really enjoyed it. And it _did_ beat sitting on the floor. Why Slade thought he might deserve this, as he was supposedly being punished, he didn't know, though.

_Don't question your Master…_ Robin thought wryly and hid a small grin against the man's neck.

"Don't you want to see what you're missing, Robin?" Slade asked with a smirk and the teen looked up at him before turning his head.

The couples were really putting on a show, whereas Darin was being sent around the room to anyone who wanted to touch or be touched. Or sucked off, it seemed. Robin began to understand why he was in Slade's lap; he was a shield.

Just as he suspected, as Darin was shown towards Slade by his Master, the tyrant waved him away. The black-haired young man looked disappointed at this, but otherwise seemed quite cheery.

In front of them 'Baby' was now getting fucked from behind by Seth, and his moans filled the room. Robin tried to remain cold and disgusted at what he was seeing and hearing, but, just as with the blond boys so long ago, it was very difficult. Especially the sounds got to him, the cries, the moans, the grunts and the slapping noises. He started to shift a bit in Slade's lap so no one would see just _how_ difficult it was.

"Getting a bit hot, pet?" Slade chuckled in his ear.

Robin just didn't think it was fair that the man should tease him like that and remain completely unaffected himself by the feel of it. He wanted to tease him back.

"Yes, Master… please let me play as well? Let me suck you off while Darin fucks me? Please, Sir?"

"Keep that up and you'll get a spanking," Slade snorted.

"But Maaaaster…?" Robin complained and rubbed himself against the man's crotch.

He shouldn't have done that.

Before he knew it he was stomach over the man's knees, and, to Robin's horror, he felt Slade pulling his robe up, exposing his ass to the room.

"Master! No! Please!" he yelled, trying to wriggle out of the grip with no success.

He heard people chuckle and laugh, Robin was sure he could hear Randolph among them. Some whistled appreciatively at the sight and Robin felt his eyes begin to water.

"Master… please? I'm sorry!" he begged quietly.

"Me too. I thought you were ready to be taken out in public, but you have to learn to control yourself, pet," Slade growled, although he didn't sound that sorry at all. "You will get fifteen swats and I expect perfect behavior from you for now on. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," the teen said as clearly as he could and waited for his punishment to begin.

It hurt, a lot, but at least the man didn't drag it out, and it was over quite quickly. After being made to thank Slade for the punishment, Robin was pushed down on the floor, no longer allowed the luxury of his Master's lap. There he sat, face hidden against the tyrant's thigh, steaming. He knew it was risky, but he just _had_ to get back at Slade for this. Suddenly a small grin appeared on his face. He had just figured out how…

_To be Continued…._

* * *

A/N: 'Darin' is the name of a Swedish pop-singer. I have no particular fondness for this guy at all, and 'my' Darin is not based on him in the least, I just couldn't come up with a simple, yet exotic-sounding name…

And yes, maybe this COULD be considered a cliffy, I'm sorry! It just seemed like an interesting place to end… it will give you the opportunity to think about what Robin might have in mind and yell at him for being stupid…

This was only read through once, so cookies for corrections!


	18. Too Far

A/N: I started writing this chapter rather late in the week, but once I began it seems like it took no time at all! I ran on inspiration, and I hope you'll like it...

**Warnings:** Part of this will be violent and icky, but this is still 2061, so I think you will be just fine… ;) Oh, and part of this is sweet and heartwarming… but this is still 2061, so I think you will be fine… ;)

* * *

**2061**

**Too Far**

"What, no hissy fit?"

Slade had just removed Robin's collar and the teen had only ran a hand over his neck tiredly and collapsed on the sofa.

"No. Too tired. And it was my fault, I was provoking you… I admit it…"

"I'm impressed."

"I wish you hadn't shown off my ass in front of everyone, though…" the teen muttered and gave the man a glare.

"I thought it was better than letting them all watch it be fucked," Slade said dryly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Robin mumbled. "I have to make a few calls…"

"Do that. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, did you have to keep feeding me fish? I hate fish!"

"Would you rather have had the lemon slice and a potato?"

"Yes!"

"Well, now I know…" the man shrugged with a smirk. "I'll order some meaty sandwiches from the kitchen."

"Great, thanks…" Robin said and made his first call, which of course went to Emma. He spent almost half an hour talking to her, even while eating, and then he asked the woman to hold.

"I know that you won't like this, but they really need me to be there for a meeting… it's been days… I'm afraid things will get unsettled if I don't show up soon."

"Fine. Go tomorrow morning, but be back in time for dinner," Slade told him. "I have a meeting outside the building first thing tomorrow anyway and I don't have to bring you along."

"Thank you. What if someone sees me, though. Should I sneak out?"

"No, that would be bad. I don't want anyone to even suspect that you are doing things behind my back… I'll send you off in the lobby tomorrow, and you'll report back there in the afternoon. _Don't_ be late this time."

"I won't be… even though it might get me some action, finally…" Robin smirked.

"Not the kind you want," the man snorted.

Robin finished the call by giving Emma the good news and then said good bye.

"Slade?" he said after debating with himself about whether to mention it or not.

"Yes?"

"I… I don't want to start any trouble, and you might not even believe me, but… Randolph said some things to me…"

"What things?"

Robin made a disgusted noise. "Urg… I feel like a child telling his teacher that someone pulled his hair…"

"Oh no, didn't he let you play with the red fire-truck?" Slade smirked.

"No, not quite as bad as _that_…" Robin chuckled and then repeated what the man had said.

"Hmmm… well, I'm not surprised. A few men committed suicide after you escaped and one or two were hurt in the chase… Randolph had had a spotless record up to that point and he takes great pride in his work."

"Yeah, he's just gloating… it just made me feel… uncomfortable."

"Poor Robin, not everyone likes you…" Slade snorted.

"Yes, I know! It's completely unnatural!" Robin exclaimed overdramatically and then chuckled. "Just… I'd rather not be around him that much if that's possible…"

"I can't promise anything, he's one of my closest men. You might just have to suck it up."

"You know I don't like that," Robin smirked a little.

"Yes, I know. That's your biggest flaw…"

* * *

The teen took a long shower a bit later and looked forward to the next day. He also thought a bit about his revenge and grinned. It could wait until tomorrow evening, though… He briefly wondered if it really was worth it, but then snorted. It wouldn't be so bad. It would only embarrass Slade a little and teach the man that he wasn't so damn much in control all the time… besides, he would do it in private, so he wouldn't risk his people or the little pet-sham. Slade would get a bit miffed, perhaps, if he even figured out what was going on, but the man had a sense of humor… well… kind of… nah, it would be okay.

Robin was so happy with his little plan that he was positively delightful for the rest of the evening and the morning after as well. He didn't even object when Slade made him wear the chain during the night or when the man picked out a thin collar as the teen dressed in his usual black outfit the next morning. The collar didn't exactly scream 'pet', but still looked a bit more than just a decorative choker.

Slade led him down into the lobby and gave him several unnecessary orders in a low voice while Robin nodded and tried to look compliant.

"Are you taking your pet for a walk, Sir?" a man Robin recognized as a board member in charge of public transportation asked.

"No, I'm sending him out on a mission," Slade answered. "It's time he earned his keep in more ways than one."

"He only knows one way? He needs some more training, Sir," the man grinned good-naturedly and Slade chuckled while Robin bit his tongue so he wouldn't talk back.

"Good one, Bill, good one… Well, pet, are you ready?"

"Yes Master."

"Good. Be back by dinner, and I want good news or you will pay."

Robin knew those words were just for show, but he nodded quickly.

"Yes of course, Master."

Slade then waved him off and Robin took a big breath of air when he left the building. Free! He felt the collar tighten around his neck as he breathed, though. So… not _quite_ free, but at least on his way. If he, and Slade, just played their cards right, Robin was sure that he would soon, once again, be able to return to the Mongrels full time.

The bike was where he had left it when he had come here in a rage a couple of days ago, and Slade had allowed him to use it. It was, after all, clearly a gift from the man and therefore not a sign of Robin's independence.

He was welcomed back with open arms and many worried questions. He told his council of the new situation in greater detail then he had been able to on the phone. They didn't like it any more than he did, but they understood the need to lay low. The week of mourning would be over in just two days and Robin didn't have to explain how important it was for the work, both outside and inside of the community, to resume.

"Men have been here with dogs and technical equipment. They have found leftovers from one more bomb, but the rest of the area is clean… at least they say so," Daniel told him.

"If they say so, then that's true… as far as they know anyway. No one is trying to trick us here," Robin said, and heard how Free snorted. "They really are not. I'm not asking you to trust them, but I am asking you to trust _me_."

"When those busses came…" the dark-skinned man muttered.

"Yes. I know. Believe me. Slade was doing it to prove a point to me and I, I'm sorry to say, completely failed to even understand it… he claims I'm naïve, and maybe I am, but I don't want to be a cold-blooded leader like he is… I want to actually _care_ for the people I am in charge of, but sometimes… well, I might need to be more levelheaded."

There were a few small smirks around the room where they had gathered. They had all seen Robin lose it quite a few times, but only if the person or persons involved really deserved it. Robin would yell and then be done with it. It was worse when someone had done something that deserved more than yelling. The mongrels were a tight-knit community, but some people who had joined them had been bad eggs, and sometimes love and jealousy made people do horrible things… If you committed a crime as a Mongrel and it was serious enough, there was only one punishment; you were returned to the outside world, delivered to one of the many slave-quarters and left there for the guards to find. What happened to you after that was none of the Mongrel's business.

"So… Robin said and turned his attention to Susan. "What about Rose? Will and Duncan have really fallen for her, and it would be cruel to let them keep her for much longer."

The woman sighed.

"If she had been an older child or even a toddler… but an infant? Many people want to take her in, but everyone is working, resources are still slim… those who don't have children just don't have the experience, and those who do are busy with their own… I'm sure something can be arranged, but…"

"I don't want something to be 'arranged' I want her to have a_ family_…" Robin growled tiredly.

"This might sound like a bad idea…" Tommy said uncertainly. Robin turned to the kind, but somewhat slow, man and nodded encouragingly.

"No, just go ahead, Tommy…" he said.

"Well… if these guys love the baby… why can't the baby stay?"

"Because she's a Mongrel, she belongs with us!" Free said and slammed his fist into the table.

Robin saw how this made Tommy even more unsure and frowned at the large hot-head.

"Now, I think we should listen first and judge later," he said. "You wanted to say something more, didn't you?" he asked the other man.

"Yes… I… well, we are two different people, right, and we have you who are a… a bridge… between us… I don't think more bridges are a bad idea… if they take care of her, but we still keep in contact… if she gets to know both our worlds… I mean, she's only a baby, and it might be wrong to use her like that, but…"

"I know what you mean…" Robin said thoughtfully. "To use her as a symbol or a political pawn rubs me the wrong way… on the other hand I know two men who would both be eternally thankful to the Mongrel community if this was to happen… and they just happen to be a board-member and Slade's personal assistant…"

"Shrewd… you might be better at these kinds of things than you think…" Emma grinned.

"Do you really think this might be a good thing for us?" Free asked.

"Yes. I do. As Tommy said; she'll be a bridge. We might not want to portray her as one, but she will be an important link, I'm sure. Besides, her own parents picked me and Rose Wintergreen as her guardians, and Miss Wintergreen is one of the men's, William's, twin sister. The child will practically stay in the family."

"That's true, you _are_ her guardians… you should have the right to decide about her future…" Susan nodded.

"Yes, but_ I_ didn't want to do that without your consent in this situation, and Rose, that is _Doctor _Rose, can't really demand that right just like that as she's not one of us…"

"We understand, Robin… and I promise you that if I ever think you're getting dictatorship-like tendencies, I'll flick your nose…" Daniel grinned.

"Indeed," Emma chuckled.

"So… can they keep her?" Robin asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"I want them to visit us soon, we want to get to know them, but yes," Susan nodded after thinking it over. "I hate to admit it, but materialistically and from a health-point of view, she will have it better with them, and I think I can trust your judge of character when you say that are good people and will love her as well."

Robin nodded. Will and Duncan were. Sure, both might be avid supporters of Slade but, somehow, still they were really good guys. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. The world was really weird sometimes.

Robin had lunch and then went around to talk with as many people as possible, to get a sense of the situation for himself. A deep sadness had settled over the community and people dealt with it in their own, personal ways. Some worked harder than before, some just wanted to stay close to their loved ones, but, all in all, an acceptance had started to settle in; it had been an accident. The world had to move on.

Robin returned to the Empire State Building early, just to be sure, and humbly announced himself to the guards. He got a few sneers; their boss's attitude seemed to have spread, but they didn't dare to do anything but send a message that Robin had arrived.

Slade had a meeting so Robin got an escort up to the reception where William was waiting for him. The teen kept his face carefully blank when he saw the assistant. The blond gestured for Robin to follow and knocked on the door to Slade's office.

"Sir? Your pet is back."

"Good, send him in, Wintergreen," Slade said and Robin quickly went to his side and sank down on the floor next to him without as much as glancing at the other occupants in the room.

"So, my little pet… missed me?" the man smirked.

"Yes, Master!" Robin said so earnestly that he almost believed it himself.

"And do you have good news?"

"Yes Master, they accepted me back and they agree to all of your ideas," the teen said for the benefit of the room.

"Good. Well, you have deserved some rest so go the apartment… I'll be done in an hour or so."

"Yes Sir," Robin agreed. "Thank you."

While being led back by William, the teen was bursting to tell him the good news, but, of course, he wasn't allowed to. Instead, after undressing to his underwear, he did as Slade had suggested and took a nap. It was nice to stretch out on the bed all alone and right now, he felt pretty darn good. What was a bit of acting in front of others and biting his tongue when things might actually work out great? Nothing! Will and Duncan would be so happy and the Mongrels would soon start working on the rebuilding again… everything would be fine, he just knew it.

"You half naked in my bed… not a bad thing to come home to."

"Thank you Master," Robin answered sleepily, just in time remembering that he still had the collar around his neck.

"What? Oh, right…" Slade bent down and removed the slim piece of leather. "I've had enough of inane yes-men for today, I don't need one here too."

"Yes, Sir," Robin grinned just to annoy the man. "Oh, Slade!"

"What? You suddenly remembered how much you want me?"

"Err… no, but the Mongrels reached a decision! Will and Duncan can keep the baby! They want to meet them and they want her to be a part of both worlds, but… please let them? Please?" There was always a risk that Slade would disagree with the idea and the man took some time thinking it over.

"Very well… they may."

"YAAAY! Can I tell them straight away?" Robin asked and was half way to the door.

"No." The man's voice stopped him. "The decisions come from me, remember?"

"Oh… right…. But come on, tell them!"

"Fine," the man looked to the heavens like he was trying to find some sort of support. Robin rather suspected he was looking in the wrong direction…

Slade went out to tell the man directly and returned with a puzzled expression.

"He hugged me…" he said, and Robin burst out laughing.

"See? Being a nice guy can be great!" the teen snickered.

"I'm not sure… I might have to fire him…" the man muttered but then smirked. "I gave him the rest of the day off, as soon as he orders dinner for us… I thought you might want something special as I suspect you had dog food for lunch."

"… and just when I think you are getting rather lovable you slip up with a slur like that…" Robin sighed dramatically, making the tyrant snort.

When Slade took a shower, perhaps to rinse off all the love he had been exposed to, Robin remembered his plan and went to grab his belt. Digging around in the pockets he quickly found what he had been looking for: the sex-pills he had pocketed at the brothel.

He grinned as he got dressed. Apart from his slave-outfits, which there now was a selection of, including one obscenely short tunic, an assortment of regular clothes had been left for him as well, while the others had been taken back to 'his' room. Robin picked a pair of black pants and a snug white sleeveless top instead of a shirt. He wanted to look good for dinner, after all.

If everything went according to plan, which there was no reason it shouldn't do, Slade wouldn't be able to take his eye off him and end up with a large, rather embarrassing problem, due to the Viagra-like drug Robin would kindly supply.

The teen checked the little bags he had swiped. Each one had two pills in them and they all had different names. In the end Robin picked 'Unyielding Desire' as he thought that sounded about right. In preparation he crushed the pills in their bag. Slade, he figured, would probably need both. He then thought about it a bit and added the pills marked 'Hot and Bothered' as well. Robin remembered back when he had first woken up and Slade had told him of the drugs in this time. The man had said that he had tested some himself, but, Robin figured, he was probably more or less immune, so why not make sure? Worst case scenario was that Slade would be hard for four hours or so instead of one… the teen snickered to himself as he hid the small bag in his pocket.

"Well, look at you…" Slade smirked as he came out of the shower.

"What? I wanted to look nice, since you been so good today!" Robin said defensively but then grinned. "You didn't even chain me up at all…"

"Gross oversight, won't happen again," the man frowned. "Who knows what you've been up to…?"

"I napped and then I dressed…" Robin snorted. "You have trust-issues."

"Perhaps…" Slade muttered. "But I doubt it…"

Not long afterwards the dinner arrived. Slade offered Robin some wine and the teen accepted. After all, the man opposite him would soon go cross-eyed and Robin wanted to celebrate. He waited for the main course, however, before he reached for the bread basket and 'happened' to push Slade's knife down on the floor. While the man bent down for it Robin quickly offered to refill the man's glass and poured the powdered pills in with the dark red wine. After that Robin insisted on a toast for Rosie and continued to enjoy his dinner as he waited for the result.

It started with Slade shifting in the seat, and then he loosened the collar of his shirt like he was getting hot. Robin also noticed that he man was looking at him more and more intently, and fought to keep appearing innocent. Then the man's hand shook as he reached for his wine, and a second later the stem of the glass snapped between his fingers, and the remains in the glass splashed over the table-cloth.

"Feeling a bit… uncomfortable…?" Robin grinned. He couldn't hold back any longer and still there was a nervous flutter in his stomach. Slade didn't look quite right…

"What… did… you … do?" the man growled, and it actually sounded like a growl too.

"I… You… You know those sex-pills?...It was just a joke…" Robin said, scooting back on his chair.

"What... kind?"

"I… I think it was called 'Unyielding Desire'…" the teen murmured, "…and.."

"_AND_?"

"Err… maybe 'Hot and Bothered' as well… but only two of each!"

"Those pills," Slade started explaining between clenched teeth, "are packed two and two because they are meant for _two _people… They are not the harmless almost placebo-like aphrodisiacs you might have heard about fifty years ago… these… affect… your _mind _too… and four… and mixed with alcohol…"

"I didn't know! Sorry!"

"Oh, you _will_ be… I'd tell you to run, but you won't get far…"

Robin still tried. He was seldom afraid, that is; really, really scared, but the expression on the man's face _did_ scare him. A lot. So he bolted for the door, his mind empty of all thoughts other than to get away, but he didn't even get as far as touching the handle.

Slade grabbed the back of his top and tore the thin material as he flung Robin back into the room. The teen narrowly missed the ultra-modern, and lit, fireplace and bounced into the wall next to the open-plan kitchen instead. With a roar worthy of a wild, crazed animal, Slade was on top of him, transforming Robin's jeans into dust-rags, if that.

"S-Slade!" Robin choked out but the man only grabbed his legs, flipped him over on his back and then pushed them apart, almost dislocating one hip from the force of it. Robin watched the man rip the front of his own trousers open and then prepare to do something he had never done before; fuck him dry.

The teen didn't want to think of the pain that would cause, especially since he didn't think the man would go slow or stop, so he quickly spit in his own hand and pushed his fingers against his opening, adding at least a _little_ bit of lubrication. That was all he had time to do before Slade pulled his hand away and slammed in. Robin was used to not being very well prepared, he even _liked_ it, but he then, usually, was turned on and Slade went slower. Now it _hurt_.

That man didn't care, though, and looking into the man's eye, Robin wasn't sure Slade even knew who any of them were anymore. There were just raw, animal lust in it now, and the man moved with a brutality the teen couldn't imagine that even any of the man's many victims had seen before they died.

Dying was something Robin was rather sure he would be doing soon as well, not from the fucking, which might be painful but was getting bearable, but from a hit or a kick, as soon as the man was finished with him. And it didn't seem to be long now. Normally Slade could hold out almost indefinitely if he wanted to, driving Robin insane, but now it was over within minutes.

The man seemed calmer. He had withdrawn from the teen and stood, panting, on all fours. Robin slowly, slowly, edged backwards. Suddenly the man's head shot up and the wild grey eye pierced him as a hand shot out and grabbed the ankle Robin was just about to pull out of reach. He was rolled over and a second later the man was buried inside him again.

It lasted longer this time, but not much. Slade never let him go and after only a few breaths the rutting started again. Slade seemed only slightly more human afterwards and dragged Robin to the couch only to fuck him brutally yet again.

The teen quickly learned to stay still while the man was busy, any squirming, anything that might be interpreted as an attempt to escape, was immediately punished. Half of the teen's face was swelling up, at least two ribs were broken and he was covered in bruises. His healing-ability kept him alive, but seemed almost confused about what to do first.

As soon as Slade held up, however, Robin did his best to escape without actually attacking the man. He didn't dare; he knew it would get him killed instantly. All attempts failed, however, but once he actually got several steps away before Slade snapped out of his stupor and roaring ran after him, crashing into him so hard that Robin almost broke his back on the stairs up to the bedroom-partition.

Slade, having a good grip on the teen's hair, spotted the bed and made the connection between it and fucking the boy silly, so, the next moment, Robin landed on the mattress. There, lying beside the pillow, Robin spotted something that might, possibly, save his life: the cuff and chain.

He waited until Slade had mounted him again, from behind once more, and then carefully reached out for the manacle. It was so easy. Slade didn't even notice the metal clicking shut around his wrist. The shackle was very tight on the man's wider wrist, digging into his flesh, but even so, Slade didn't react.

When the session finally was over, Robin edged away again. If he could roll down the other side and then get in under his bed he might trick Slade into follow him. The chain would stop him and Robin could roll out the other side and get away.

Said and done. The teen continued to edge away as the man started to stir. Slade reached for him, but already the chain, shortened as it had last been used during the night, stopped him. Robin got ready to bolt, but then the man merely rolled his shoulders and jerked his arm forward. The chain snapped. Robin stared, he couldn't believe it; Slade had treated it as it was paper, he didn't even seem to notice it rattling as he moved. Once more Robin was caught and within the blink of an eye he was filled yet again.

It seemed to slowly sink into Slade's mind that Robin really _was_ trying to get away between fucks, and the man decided he didn't like that. From then on he therefore made sure to keep a good grip on his little partner, or just rested on top of him, whatever made more sense at the moment.

It went on for hours, longer than Robin could understand, and he lost consciousness at least twice; once from his head banging into the headboard, and once from pure exhaustion.

When he woke up the last time, however, Slade didn't move. The man had rolled onto his back next to him and didn't react as the teen slowly edged away. Robin shot to his feet, stumbling from the pain, and backed away even more. Slade still didn't move. It soon became clear that the man was out cold, and Robin didn't like the shallow breathing or the white color of the man's skin.

"Slade? Slade?"

The man didn't stir.

The room, Robin suddenly noted, seemed to be filled with feathers. They came from the pillows and comforters, he discovered, and balked as he looked closer at the bed. Almost everything was torn. Most of it was bloody.

His eyes found the man again and he knew he had a choice. He could leave, which would probably condemn over three hundred and fifty people to their deaths… or he could call for help. Because he knew that if Slade died… then the Mongrels were as good as dead anyway. If Slade died, they_ all_ were… a new ruler would make sure to get rid of Slade's followers, and the wars that would surely begin even before that, might very well kill the majority of the humans left on the planet… Slade dying… would be _bad_.

It was therefore simple, in the end. He went to find his cell phone, which had, luckily, managed to survive. Every time he moved, it hurt. Everywhere. He couldn't even feel one spot which hurt more than the rest; it was all agony. He had trouble breathing as well and, as he coughed, his hand turned red as he wiped his mouth. Still, he had a call to make.

"Rose...? I… need help… Slade…" that was all he could managed before he collapsed.

He woke as the door opened.

"God, Robin! What happened to you?" the blonde woman asked as she rushed in, followed by William who she must have called on the way.

"Not… me… Slade…" Robin groaned and pointed. "AH!" he cried out in pain as the assistant tried to help him up.

"Shit…" Rose cursed as she saw the man. At first glance, Robin was worse off, but then again, the man's healing-abilities were stronger and more efficient, and to see him struggling to breathe... "What happened?"

"I… It was a joke…" Robin began and then told the doctor what he had given the man and how much.

Rose nodded curtly and withdrew her bellowed pack of syringes.

"We developed an antidote when he tested drugs," she growled. "We can only hope it works…"

"But… will it work on _these_? You have one for these ones right? Both kinds?" Robin asked worriedly, not wanting the woman to make it worse.

"It's not an antidote per se… it's designed to make the body dispel foreign substances as fast as it can, so it works on _every _kind. Hypothetically."

"_How_ hypothetically?" William asked, grasping Robin's already injured arm hard.

"An average human would probably not survive it. That's not a problem for Slade. Normally," Rose said and plunged the needle into the man's stomach. "But we don't have a choice. Stand back, this will get messy," she told the others, while she instead leaned over the man and turned his head to the side, away from her.

Slade hadn't even flinched as the needle went in, and Robin held his breath. A tremble went through the man's body and suddenly a lot of things happened at once, and all of them were nasty. Every pore started to produce sweat, which ran down Slade's body in torrents. At the same time both his bladder and bowels emptied and vomit rushed out of the man's mouth. Rose had been right; it was messy.

"What… what now?"Robin asked faintly as it seemed the body on the bed had nothing more to produce.

"Now we clean up and wait," Rose said. "And I should take a look at you as well."

"No… no, I'm… I'm fine… just… just make sure he makes it, okay?"

"I sure as hell will do my best, but when it comes to you, and this might just be my years of medical training speaking, but I _think _ribs are supposed to stay on the_ inside_ of the skin."

"Doesn't matter…" Robin mumbled. "I'll be dead soon anyway… you both know I will…"

The twins looked at each other and William shrugged.

"It doesn't look good."

* * *

Slade awoke slowly. He hadn't felt this bad since… well he had been shot in the stomach by a machinegun once, but… nah… this was worse.

"Here, Sir, you need to drink this," a bossy voice said. "You are severely dehydrated."

Slade's inner security system identified the voice as belonging to Rose, and the woman did have clearance, so he opened his mouth. The water did wonders and he soon opened his eye and, after another glass, sat up.

"What happened?" he muttered and rubbed his forehead.

"You don't remember?"

"… Robin… pills… damn…Where is he?"

"Next to you."

Slade turned his head and saw the teen, his skin more blue than any other color, apart from the red, crusty blood.

"He didn't run?" he was genuinely surprised at this. "Are his legs broken?"

"No, he could have run… but he called for help instead. He helped clean you up, and the bed as well. Then he watched over you with the rest of us until his body gave out. I've patched him up a bit…"

"Clean me up?"

"I had to use the expulsion-formula."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Not your fault. For once." The woman smirked a little. "And I'm not trying to defend Robin either. He already knows he's as good as dead."

Slade nodded contemptibly. The boy had drugged him. Knowingly.

"He's really battered…" he noted.

"You almost killed him… Well… or rather, he almost committed suicide by Slade."

"A common way to die around me…" the man chuckled.

Robin shifted a bit on the bed in his deep sleep, reaching out until he found Slade's hand and then closed his hand around the man's little finger.

"That's sweet…" Rose said and then sighed. "Let me know if you want to do anything special with the body."

"You're not going to beg me to spare him?" Slade asked. "I thought you rather liked him?"

"Well, it's a lost cause, isn't it? But I _do_ like him… so… do it quickly, okay?" With that the woman left the room and took her brother, who had been hovering in the background, with her.

* * *

Robin woke up to the man watching him.

"Slade! Thank god!" the words passed his lips before he had realized what it meant for him that the man was awake. When he did, his eyes widened. "I… I'm sorry…"

"You think that will be enough?" Slade asked in a strangely flat voice.

"No… no, of course not… I understand…. It was all supposed to be a joke… you were supposed to be embarrassed and I was supposed to laugh at you for not being able to control yourself…" the teen made a sound between a chuckle and a sob. "When… when I'm gone… at least spare the children? Please? At least the children?"

"And why would I? In fact it would be kinder to let them die as well, instead of growing up as traumatized orphans."

"No! Please! I'll…"

"… do anything?" the man snorted. "Like what? Not drug me again? Thank you, that would be nice, but your death kind of solves that anyway, so..."

Robin let his head fall back onto the pillow. There was something wrong with it, he noticed; it didn't smell like Slade. In fact, nothing around him did. Then he remembered that, after what had happened, they had stripped the bed and he had heard William say something about a new mattress before he passed out. As the pillows and comforters had been destroyed, they must be new as well. Then he wondered why the heck he was thinking about random, completely unimportant, things like that. Maybe because he didn't want to think at all.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

"I know…"

* * *

Slade looked down on the despondent teen. Most of the blood seemed to be between his legs and from a split lip. The cut on the lip had healed and the bruises were fading, but it was slow going. His eye traveled back to the red streaks down Robin's inner thighs and the man winced. He couldn't remember much, but the bits and pieces he _could_ come up with were not pretty… and judging by the time of day, it must have gone on for hours... Still, he supposed the boy had deserved it… the idiot…

The man thought back to when they first had begun to experiment with the aphrodisiacs. He had slipped a mild version into the water carafe on a board meeting, and then he had tried to keep a straight face while his closest men and women had squirmed and sweated through one of the shortest meetings to date. Very few objections to any of Slade's plans too… The drug, even back then, was not a simple 'get hard' drug, no; it actually made the user horny as hell, no matter what the gender.

The man chuckled at the memory, and couldn't help to compare it to this situation. The teen, of course, didn't know any better that that the drug was some kind of re-vamped Viagra…

Robin opened his eyes at the sound. He had expected the man to handle his execution lightly, but to_ chuckle_?

He yelped as the discovered the man's hand coming towards him.

"You're an idiot," Slade said and, for the second time ever, ruffled Robin's hair. "Go take a shower."

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: What the hell? Why is Robin still alive? Will he keep that up for long? How the hell should I know? Slade runs the show at the moment, go ask him… ;)


	19. Live…

A/N: Firstly, thank you SO much for the amazing response I got after the last chapter! You are the best!

I also would like to respond to the anonymous reviewer "**Madame**" who asked why Robin takes baths since bathing in anything but running water is more or less forbidden in the Romani culture.

I found this amazingly fascinating, and I am SO sad that you didn't log in so I could answer you directly! Please contact me if you have more info like this about this culture, because I would love to collect facts like this for future drabbles/stories!

In Robin's case, however, he was separated from this world at an early age, around 8, and then raised in a "western" culture, so I don't think he would abide, or even _know_ much, about Romani traditions, and, after asking around, I haven't found any proof of that he does keep to these traditions in the canon universe either, so he'll keep taking baths now and again… Slade likes to walk in on him, after all! ;)

* * *

**2061**

**Live…**

It was the day after, around ten in the morning, and Slade was sitting in the sofa reading a report and making notes. He glanced up and, yes, Robin was still watching him. The man chuckled on the inside. He was putting the young hero through hell right now, and he did it by treating him perfectly civilly. Who knew that could be so much fun?

Those large, blue, haunted eyes had barely left him at all. He was sure the teen hadn't slept either, although he himself had had a rather nice, restful sleep after downing countless glasses of water, which Robin had fetched for him. Slade was now completely recovered and so was the teen. _Physically_, anyway.

* * *

Robin hated to admit it, but he was a wreck. Why wasn't he dead, or at least flogged halfway there, right now? The man should be in a rage, but he didn't even seem _upset_. Instead Robin wasn't chained up or even wearing a collar. Had Slade forgiven him? Just like_ that_? Or was he planning something? Was Robin going to look out of the window in a moment and see all the Mongrels gathered outside and then be slaughtered? He was so tense that he was trembling and felt on the verge of bursting into tears, or pass out, just from nerves.

He held his breath as Slade reached for his glass of water. The man seemed fine, but Rose had insisted on that he should have a few extra glasses during the day just in case. As the man put it down it was empty and Robin got on his feet.

"Refill?" he asked carefully.

"Yes please. Nothing_ extra_ in it this time, though?"

"No, Sir…" Robin mumbled and slunk away into the kitchen. How could he_ joke _about it? Was the world mad? Had he died and woken up in some alternative universe? Wait… was this _hell_? He shook his head as he filled the glass with ice-cold water. He couldn't freak out, he might actually make things _worse_.

He quietly padded back into the room, placed the glass on the table within the man's reach and resumed his place in the corner, where he could look out the window and keep an eye on Slade at the same time, plus keep his back to a wall. Sitting down, anywhere, was just out of the question.

A knock on the door made the teen jump. He noticed that Slade gave him an amused look as it opened.

"Sir?" William said carefully. "The family is here… they would like to see you."

"Of course, send them in. No more than half an hour, though," the man nodded and stood up.

"Slade!" Rebecca was first into the room and the man got his second hug in two days. He didn't seem to mind that much, though, but made sure it didn't drag out. "Are you alright? Rose told us how close it was… and Robin!"

The teen hadn't known what to expect, but it _wasn't_ a slap against his cheek, hard enough to turn his head to the side.

"You…. _You_…" Rebecca yelled at him, having trouble finding the right word.

"Idiot?" Slade supplied.

"Yes! Idiot! You could have killed him! You are lucky if I _ever_ forgive you!"

Robin stared at the loving woman in shock and then looked around the room. They were all there, even Mary and Rose's fiancé Michael, and they all had similar expressions in their eyes, apart from Duncan who was cradling Rose and looked deeply hurt instead of angry. "Will you_ now_ listen to me when I tell you that he's a security-risk and should be eliminated?" Randolph asked Slade in front of all of them.

Robin's heart was beating so hard his whole chest ached. Was this what the man had been waiting for? To execute him in front of the Wintergreens? Robin's eyes locked with Slade's and he felt like he couldn't breathe again, waiting for the man's decision.

"The boy_ has_ been an idiot," Slade repeated. Robin was afraid that, if he was somehow to survive this, the man would have that word tattooed on his forehead. Well, it would be the _truth_…

"He tried to kill you!" Michael exclaimed, eager to show his loyalty.

"No."

"No!"

Slade and Robin denied it both at the same time, although the teen put is fingers over his lips as he couldn't believe he had dared to say anything at all.

"Be quiet, you!" Rebecca told him, and Robin lowered his eyes, backing further into the corner. "But Slade, he did! He poisoned you!"

"He was trying to play a trick on me… and that backfired on him too, rather badly, as Rose and William can tell you. Didn't it, Robin?"

The man was suddenly in front of him, and the teen thought he would pee himself.

"Yes, but…"

"So wouldn't you say you have paid for it already?" the man continued.

"No." The answer surprised the whole room apart from Slade.

"No?" the man asked nonetheless.

"No, I… that wasn't _you_… you didn't know what you were doing… it... it was my fault…"

"So you think you deserve to die?"

"I… I don't want to, but… if you say so, I…. but the Mongrels… please…"

"Of course no one will hurt the Mongrels, silly boy!" Rebecca huffed, and Robin's and Slade's eyes met for a moment in some sort of silent comment.

"You didn't try to kill me, Robin, did you?" Slade said, his fingers caressing the shivering teen's neck.

"No… I would _never_… everything would be lost and…" Robin took a deep breath. "I intentionally put the drugs in your wine, but I didn't know they could be dangerous."

"I believe you," the man said simply.

"But still…" Robin said carefully, "you… you just can't forgive me…"

"Oh? Funny, I thought I _ruled_ this planet," the man asked innocently.

"Yes, but…"

"Tell you what…" Slade leaned over close to the teen and kept his voice so low that only Robin could hear. "I'll send you, Will, Duncan and Rosie out to meet the mongrels now, and when you come home tonight, I'll let you make it up to me. I'll fuck you for _real_. And this time, I'll _remember _it…"

Slade had expected some kind of reaction to his little proposition, of course, like a flinch or even a scowl, but he hadn't counted on all the color draining from the teen's face and his eyes, for a split second, filling with panic. Then the teen closed his eyes and nodded.

"Good," Slade said, almost taken aback by the violent reaction. He turned around and told Will and Duncan of the plans.

"But… the punishment!" Randolph almost spluttered.

"Leave Robin to me," Slade said coldly. "I think you'll find that he's my department, not yours."

"Yes, Sir," the chief of security said flatly.

Robin could feel the look Randolph sent him, even though he was staring at the floor. Tonight… Robin didn't even know why he was so afraid… Slade would hurt him again, he supposed, but he could take, even welcome, the pain if that meant that the punishment would be over, but somehow the thought of having sex with the man made him want run. He remembered the pain from last night clearly, because even with the small amount of saliva and later the man's own seed, Slade had torn him badly. He was healed now, of course, but he remembered it happening over and over again, worse and worse, blood pouring down his legs, coloring not only Robin's skin but also Slade's front, red. He felt sick as the images flashed through his head. He couldn't survive that again, he just couldn't…

But he had no choice, and soon he was sitting in a car next to Duncan and a gurgling Rosie, secure in her baby-seat. Duncan and Will treated him like parent's who had found out that their son shoplifted. They were angry but also very, very disappointed… there was a feeling of 'where did we go wrong?' in the air, but none of them were even close to as angry as Rebecca had been. They knew they had Robin to thank for their new daughter, and, as William had whispered to Duncan before they got in the car, that whatever Slade had told Robin, it must have been bad, as the teen still was as pale as a ghost.

The meeting went fine, although the Mongrels were a bit wary in the beginning. Duncan's obvious empathy made them open up, however, and soon both of the men had been more or less adopted into John's and Amanda's group. They were asked what should be done about the possessions the small family had had, but the men of course left it all to Susan to divide up as needed. The only things they decided to take were a baby-blanket and a small rag-doll that belonged to Rosie.

"They are really amazing people!" Duncan exclaimed in the car back.

"Yes, I didn't expect them to be quite so… civilized…" William nodded. "They really have very little, though…"

"Yes, we have to ask Slade if we can be allowed to help more…" Duncan agreed.

Robin sat quietly. Surrounded by the others he had been able to forget about the night for a while, but now it was all coming crashing back full force.

Slade pretty much ignored him until dinner, but not in a rude or passive aggressive way; he was just busy. He had greeted them all when they had come back and taken off the slim collar he had made Robin wear, but then he had returned to a pile of paper-work in the apartment.

The hero had fluttered around nervously for a bit, before settling on the couch, as the man sat at his small desk. Robin had no idea what to do with himself and ended up watching Slade, either openly or from under his lashes.

The dinner, then, was another ordeal. Slade talked a bit about the food and something about the schedule for the next day. Robin ate, a little, but it all tasted of paper and, occasionally, vomit. He did drink all the wine he was offered, however, because he was pretty sure he would need it.

Every time the man moved unexpectedly or with any speed, Robin jumped. He scolded himself and tried to calm his racing heart. He wasn't afraid of Slade! Well, not any more than what must be considered _normal _anyway… probably less. But right now… he was. Not of what the man might say or give orders about, per se, but of the man… touching him. Holding him down. Hurting him. And this was exactly what he had to expect in only a little while. Robin swallowed a piece of bread, the mouthful consisting more of bile than anything else.

"That was a good dessert, wasn't it?"

Robin's head snapped up, he had been staring at the plate where he had made a mess of… something… but not eaten it.

"Y-yeah…"

"You seem tense… but you didn't have a good night's sleep, did you? Why don't we take a shower?" the man said. His leer wasn't any worse that it usually was, but Robin had noticed the 'we', and didn't want to be a part of it. Also the voice didn't fit the expression on his face. His tone and words were deceivingly considerate, but the expression in his eye… not so much.

"Okay," Robin nodded, because, after all, he had no choice. It would be over tomorrow, one way or the other.

Slade couldn't help but enjoy himself like a wolf that had cornered a shivering rabbit. The teen seemed to lose the ability to breathe every time the man as much as brushed against him, so he made sure to do that a lot, even slowly undressing him in the bathroom.

When he was done the teen really_ needed _a shower; his skin glistened of pearls of sweat and he was breathing very shallowly. The young man was clearly working himself up to a panic attack but, even though Slade thought that he rather deserved it, it was not part of the plan for the evening.

Robin thought he'd rather be whipped than this. The man wasn't hurting him, not at all, quite the opposite. His very presence meant danger, though, and every caress could just as well have been a blow. The hero tensed at a sudden sound, but it was just the water in the shower which had been turned on. Then Slade undressed himself and everything suddenly got worse; the man became a bigger threat. Robin stepped into the shower as soon as the temperature had risen from freezing, just hoping to regain some control. He closed his eyes and went through some of the mental relaxation-exercises Bruce had taught him when he was younger. Hanging from his fingertips off a tall building? No problem. Getting stuck in a narrow ventilation-shaft? No problem. Showering with Slade? _Problem_. He tried to tell himself that he had done this before, several times, and, as long as the man wasn't hurting him, he had nothing to fear, but somehow his brain, for once in his life, didn't want anything to do with logic.

The man had joined him and was touching him again. Robin smelled the scent of soap and shampoo, but didn't move much himself apart from shampooing his own hair when Slade told him to. They were still in the shower when the man moved him around, so they were facing each other, and then lightly pressed down on his shoulders. Robin knew what he wanted, and kneeled.

He didn't like giving head. He didn't like the submissive position, or the control Slade had. He didn't like the feel of it, or the taste. At this point, however, Robin figured it was the least he could do, and he didn't dare object at all.

The man's shaft had filled out a bit, just enough for the foreskin to pull back, but it wasn't completely hard, and this calmed the teen down. He grabbed the length and started to pump his fist firmly along it. Slade liked a firm, almost hard, grip, and Robin got a bit annoyed that he knew that. He shouldn't notice those kind of details; he shouldn't give a crap about them. He leaned forward and took the head in his mouth. He fully expected the man to grab his head and slam into his throat at any moment, but even several minutes later, Slade hadn't.

"Very good, Robin… that's enough…" the man's voice purred above him. The teen had already felt the man tensing and tasted more pre cum, so he knew Slade was close. He had hoped the man would come in his mouth, maybe making him move benevolent later, but no such luck. Instead he was herded out of the shower, dried off a bit with a towel and then led to the bed.

Robin was feeling like it was the first time all over again, but he was even more nervous now. When would the pain start? What had the man meant by fucking him 'for _real_'? It _always_ felt _damn_ real… what else could he do to him? Especially after last night… Robin shuddered again.

"Cold? I'll get you warm soon enough…" the man told him with a chuckle.

_Warm? What could that mean? Fire? Branding irons? Hot wax? What did he mean? What was he going to __DO?_

Robin was surprised once more as the man just laid down next to him on the bed and started caressing him. Slade was more of a 'straight to business' kind of guy, after all. He tensed as his nipple was pinched, almost panicking for a moment until he noticed that it wasn't a _hard _squeeze, only teasing. When the man kissed his neck, Robin broke down.

"Just do it already!" he almost yelled.

"You _sound _eager, but you don't _look_ the part…" the man chuckled and slid his hand down to Robin's flaccid length.

"Just… please…?" The hero felt tears rising in his eyes. "I know I deserve it… just get it over with…"

"And what is this thing you deserve?" the man asked with a smirk.

"Whatever you are going to do …" Robin muttered. He had gone from terrified to actually feeling a bit irritated.

"Ah. I planned to have sex with you… but you seem confused about what that entails, for some reason."

"Sex?"

"Among other things it means that I intend to insert my penis into your rect-"

"I _know_! I know, but… _just _sex?"

"I like to think that I bring something _special_ to the experience, but, yes…"

Robin didn't know what to believe. It wasn't like Slade to right out lie, after all. He nodded a little bit.

"Okay…" he mumbled. "…but why?"

"I'm horny."

"Yes, but… _why_?"

"I always thought that was reason enough."

Robin felt his fingers clench, wanting to close around the man's throat.

"I thought you were going to get back at me! To hurt me!"

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yes, of course. I've enjoyed watching you squirm all day… and now I think I'll make you squirm in another way…"

"I…I… so you _have_ forgiven me?" Robin asked to make sure.

"Well, I would appreciate it if your views on blow jobs got slightly more positive."

"Deal. But… all in all… I'm forgiven?"

"Yes."

"In that case…. _God_ I hate you!"

"I know," the man chuckled. "Could you hand me the lube?"

All the tension finally left Robin's body and he burst out laughing, in that desperate, almost sobbing kind of way you laugh after a really scary rollercoaster-ride, when you are just glad to be alive…. He could barely stop as the man started to kiss him but was soon kissing back. His body regained interest in what was going on quickly, but Slade was, despite the joke about lube, still taking it slowly.

Robin only felt a stab of panic as the man moved on top of him, but he managed to push it down until their grinding bodies had made him forget about the fear.

After that it got pretty blurry although not in the horrible way of the night before. They were both eager, almost impatient, even Robin, as the friction and touches made the present fade and the sensations take over. He found himself thinking that 'well, if you fall off a horse…' The initial entry itself made Robin tense again, but as soon as he noticed that there was no pain, and that Slade actually held back a smidge more that he usually did, he relaxed again.

When it was over they were both breathing heavily, and they could just as well had skipped the shower because at least Robin was just as sweaty again.

The teen was catching his breath, staring up on the ceiling and trying to sort through his feelings. He felt… well, 'happy' was a word he really didn't want to use, but, yeah… from being scared of the man his emotions had suddenly flipped and he almost felt like giving him his third hug, but… nah… he also wanted to live. Besides, he didn't _want _to have positive feelings about the guy, apart from, perhaps, lust… and only in certain situations. When he thought of Slade he wanted to feel on guard… defiant… but suddenly the wolf had given the rabbit a lick and a bunch of carrots. How was the rabbit supposed to feel… and _do_?

Robin only knew one way to show his newfound gratitude that he thought the man would appreciate. He rolled over and gave Slade a bit of a smile.

"We could go again… if…?"

Slade did.

_To be continued… for one more chapter…._

* * *

A/N: This was the last real chapter! The next one is only a short epilog. Whyyyyy? You wonder? Well, as this was never meant to be a story, I didn't PLAN it as a story… I mean, stuff did happen, of course, but there's not really a beginning-middle-end that a "real" story has to have… I just mainly ambled along and wrote whatever seemed like a good idea at the time… I can't really continue like that or this will get REALLY repetitive and boring. I'm not saying that this is the end FOREVER (I actually have a drabble idea right now I'm going to do), but I do need more ideas! It can be drabble ideas or story ideas, and I'm not "closing" this collection; I will add at least one more drabble, after the epilogue after all… maybe I'll start a story called 2062… ;)

So ideas then! If you have them, let me know! A drabble idea might be written like: during a board meeting, Duncan brings Rose, who has an accident and Slade makes Robin take the baby out and change her. Robin decides to get back at the man by leaving the diaper in an interesting place."

This is an example of a thought-through drabble idea; it has a beginning/middle/end but it can still easily be told with a few pages. An idea can also be a suggestion for a scene that then becomes part of a bigger story…

A story-idea is more difficult, though, if it hadn't been I would be writing on the next one already… ;) A story-idea doesn't have to have details like the drabble-idea, but can start with questions, like what kind of problems could Robin/Slade face? Personal problems? Outside threats? What do they have to overcome? I'm not asking for details or how it will end or anything, but that is, I feel, the difference between a story and a drabble; a drabble can be just for laughs, but a story needs to have something more, something that drives the story forward…

And if you think of anything, today, tomorrow, or next year, let me know. And as usual, this universe is open to play in, so if you want to write your own drabbles/stories, just let me know when you post them so I can read! ;)


	20. … And Learn

A/N: Time for the short epilogue-thingy! ;)

* * *

**2061**

… **And Learn**

Robin was woken up by Slade moving around on his side of the bed.

"…what are you doing…?" he mumbled sleepily. It had been another late night, although much more fun than the last.

"I don't like this mattress. I can't get comfortable…" the man muttered.

"That's because the old one had a big damn _groove_ from your weight where you slept… I used to roll down into it…" the teen mumbled.

"Ahh… a Robin trap… clever of me…" the man chuckled.

"You're not _drunk_, are you?" the teen snorted and turned over. "Shut up and let me sleep."

"No, actually you have to get up and go to work. The mourning-period ends today, and I need you there when the busses come to collect the workers. Make sure there's no trouble. Didn't you hear me tell you this over dinner last night?"

"I didn't hear much of _anything_ you said then…" Robin murmured. "What time is it?"

"Four thirty in the morning."

"God… we_ just_ got to sleep!" the teen complained.

"Up. Shower. Dress. There's breakfast in the kitchen."

"Well, what about _you_?" Robin growled as he rolled out of bed. He believed in spreading his misery around.

"Me? I think I'll sleep in. You'll exit through the main lobby. The guards have been informed." The man gave him a rather annoying smirk and then stretched leisurely.

Robin snorted, but he knew it was important that he was there and he was grateful to Slade for thinking of it… he should have thought of it himself, but… well… he hadn't really believed that he would _wake up_ today, so…

He hurried to get ready and also ate a big breakfast, hungry after not eating much at all the previous day.

"When do you want me back?" he asked before putting on the collar.

"I would like to bring you to a meeting after lunch, but stay as long as you feel you are needed... but you are to spend the night here, of course," Slade, still in bed, told him.

"Of course," the teen said flatly. Well… good luck working on that sleeping-pit," he then smirked and put the collar on. "Bye, Master."

"Be good, pet," the man chuckled.

* * *

There was some anxiety as the busses were about to drive off; some children cried as they were left behind and even some workers seemed hesitant to leave. Robin and the council-people, some leaving to work themselves, tried their best to comfort and support their people. The teen was thankful that there was no aggression or threats, and he could only hope that they would be treated well at their work-places. He had heard both positive and negative feedback about the bosses and other workers the Mongrels encountered, but, although they were told to report anything serious, they were also told not to let themselves be provoked. It was not always easy, however: the Citizens generally regarded them as third class citizens and the slaves were both jealous of their freedom and still had a higher status than them. No major incidents had happened so far, though, and Robin could only cross his fingers.

As everything was calm the teen decided to return soon after the busses had left, so he was back in Slade's building before most of its occupants had even gotten to work.

* * *

"May I ask you a question, Sir?" Robin was sitting by Slade's feet in his office, and, since the collar was on and they were expecting company soon, he kept his voice polite. He hadn't been able to restrain himself from asking, however.

"Yes?"

"It's about the committee you put together for me… I haven't met with them since… well…"

"I know. They are working under my orders now, and I think we'll keep it like that for now. You'll be allowed to read their reports to make sure the work is progressing the way you want it to, but I don't think you should be directly involved yet… maybe you can resume your place there fully in a year or so."

"I really screwed things up for myself, didn't I?"

"I'm glad you realize that," the man said. "But I'm also holding you back because you are a strong leader, which you should take as a compliment, but I can't have you at my feet in one moment and then you taking charge over a large group of officials the next… it would look too odd."

"I understand, Sir… so… a year?" the large part of Robin's soul which loved freedom wailed in misery.

"Yes. But you won't be idle. Do you remember those tutors I arranged as a Liberation Day present for you? You will be busy learning everything about the past fifty years, as well as brush up on your language- and technology skills. I might also take you on a trip or two."

"And the Mongrels? My place with them? Sir?" Robin added the title quickly as he had managed to forget it.

"I propose you commute." The man grinned a little. "I need you here but I will make sure that you will be able to visit for meetings and socializing almost every day. You will stay here from now on, though. I won't let you out of my sight again."

Robin picked at the sleeve of his thin tunic. Then he nodded.

"For the balance and everything… yeah, I guess it's for the best."

"It wasn't a suggestion."

"I know… Master."

"Good pet," the man grinned.

Slade was more than pleased. When he had seen Robin leave a little over a year ago, he had known he would get him back, but he had had no idea that it would be this soon… and with the young man's _consent_ as well… The future, he thought, looked promising.

Robin let his mind wonder during the meeting, the man's hand in his hair moving in an almost hypnotic way. He had really fucked up when he had let his anger take control, and he knew he would be paying for that for a long time. He could take it, though, and it would actually be interesting to learn new things. He had finally come to accept that he lived in this time now; there were no way back, no do-overs… He had to live his life here and, if he were to believe Slade, it would be longer than most. Right now, that didn't bother him. He was young; he had lots of things he wanted to do and places he wanted to go. If he lived to see Rosie grow old, though… well, that wasn't worth thinking about right now, was it?

Slade wouldn't let go of him, but, even though that left him feeling a bit uneasy, he could accept this too. Robin could help more by the man's side, or at his feet, than out there right now. That hadn't been true a year ago; then he had _had_ to get out and physically help these people, fight for them.

He remembered teasing Slade about spending much of his time behind a desk, but, the teen had discovered, when everything _worked_, that might just be the best place to be. Another thing he had to admit was that things _did_ work for Slade. He still didn't like how the slaves were treated, that the value of a human life was close to nothing, but what had it been like in his time? People dying of starvation while the world watched. The homeless getting chased away even from digging through the restaurant's trash, where many, many meals were thrown away every day. This time wasn't better, people were being worked to death and had no rights at all, but it wasn't _worse_. And some things were better. No wars. No cocaine, heroin or any other type of wide-spread harmful narcotics. Barely any crime, apart from what was accepted, of course. This was a platform to build from. Robin didn't agree with Slade's type of heartless leadership, but he also knew that he had to get tougher himself… The perfect leader, he assumed, had to be a combination of them both, and if Slade let Robin work with him, maybe he could get the man to see this. The future, he thought, looked promising.

_The End (for __now)_

* * *

A/N: There… pretty positive ending, huh? Well… a bit… and yeah, it might have made the dark-lover's sad, and the über-fluff-lovers too, but… ; ) I had to add this, though, mainly to end it CALMLY so you all can relax and still know a bit of what Robin has to expect in the future… ;) As I said last time, I'm planning more drabbles within the next… weeks or so, and feel free to give me more suggestions!


	21. New Point of View, Part 1

**A/N:** Long time no see! Yeah, yeah, been busy with stuff and such… especially such. Such takes a long time sometimes.

AAAAAnyway, I'm back, for the moment, with this 2061 drabble! I asked what you wanted to see in the 2061 universe and got some really great suggestions! Thanks! Keep them coming! **Also X-mas story-update** at the bottom so don't forget that one…

So, this is for several people, actually… One, for example, is **Joshthemonkey**, but, since I'm such a sucky and evil person, he won't get what he wished for in THIS part… yeah… I split it up… because it was getting long… like this is twelve pages and the story is only half way, so yeah… at LEAST one more part needs to be written… and I will! I'm hoping posting this will be the kick in the ass I need, it usually works when I know people are waiting… ;)

**New Point of View, Part 1**

"I'm taking you on a trip tomorrow."

Robin lifted his eyes from the text he was reading.

"Really? Where?"

"Asia. We'll be gone for a few weeks," Slade told him.

"What? And we're leaving_ tomorrow_?" the teen gaped.

"Did you have something else to do?" the man smirked.

"Well, I have a test in two days…"

"I_ think_ I can get you out of that…" the tyrant chuckled.

"You can try, but she's really tough…" Robin smirked back. "I have to call Emma… what about packing?"

"It's being taken care of, but if you want to bring any homework you have to pack it yourself."

"I think I'll survive," Robin grinned.

It had been almost six months, baby Rose could sit up by herself and Robin had settled into his new life. He worked hard between studies, the Mongrels and pet-duty, so there was little time to wallow in self pity. Still, an opportunity to leave the city, for the first time since he had woken up after his frozen sleep, was exciting.

A few things had changed in the past months. Firstly Rebecca had forgiven him after only a few weeks, just as soon as Rose, on a 'girls night' let it slip what_ kind_ of drugs Robin had tried to poison Slade with. In the woman's mind, Robin giving Slade aphrodisiacs was only _romantic_, not a crime. Between Randolph and Robin, however, things were still frosty at best.

Another thing that had changed was Robin's status, but it wasn't anywhere near back to the old one, not even among the Wintergreens. He was still a pet, but the board and Slade's other associates had gotten used to him and Slade was more lenient towards him now. Not even Rebecca made any plans with him without asking Slade first, however.

Some days Robin was actually _glad_ not to have to make any real decisions, but on others he felt his connection to the Mongrels slipping, even though Slade had stayed true to his word and the teen was able to spend quite a bit of time with them every week. The work with rebuilding the parts of the city went on according to plan and a few houses were already finished. The Mongrels had learned a lot about the trade in the meanwhile and were enthusiastic enough to even mellow out the board's worries.

His true, behind closed doors, relationship with Slade was… surprisingly easy. They talked, Slade lectured, they argued and they fucked, and Robin was sometimes tempted to think of it as a marriage of sorts. He was grateful, though, for the pet-status, because that helped him put things in perspective. It was a like wall between them, and Robin was comfortable with that, because it was much too easy, after so many months, to just… well… be _content_. If he didn't have the reminder the collar provided, he feared he would just lie back and enjoy the ride, so to speak. He was aware that Slade had a bit more influence over him then he should really accept, and he had tried the boundaries repeatedly during the past moths just to see what the man would punish and what he would accept. It seemed, however, that they had come to some sort of understanding, and, after all the drama, the teen found it soothing. No doubt he would sooner or later piss the man off again, when he got bored, but, for now, he didn't feel the need to.

Robin got up from the couch, which he had occupied for his studies, fetched his phone, and stretched out on the bed to call Emma. The woman had really stepped up as second in command and Robin had withdrawn as their official leader and was more of a diplomat. People looked up to him and asked for advice sometimes, but the teen was adamant that Emma and the council should make the decisions. This had actually annoyed Slade a bit, who apparently was of the opinion that if he should be involved at _all,_ it should be with a firmer hand. The teen just couldn't do that, though; he couldn't 'rule' the mongrels from afar, they needed someone who lived with them or things would get out of control. He did sit in on as many meetings as he could, however, and he still felt a strong connection with 'his' people.

Robin was on his stomach, and as he hung up, he felt the bed dip and Slade's hands on his hips.

"It's the middle of the day, don't you have work to do?" he snorted and rolled over.

"No, and I got you out of a test and a few weeks of 'school'..." Slade reminded him. "Isn't that worth anything to you?"

"A hand job?" Robin offered with a smirk.

"I think you can do better."

"Oh, I_ can_…" Robin admitted, "But I'm going to be late for the lab, and then Duncan will make me baby-sit again." The chemist had been giving him lessons once a week, as things had progressed quite a lot in that area as well, and Robin loved chemistry almost as much as technology.

"I'll write you a note," the man promised.

Robin sighed as Slade started to unbutton his shirt. He had come to admit to himself that he was undeniably in lust with the man, even though there were no warmer feelings involved. He didn't get all gooey-eyed and flutter-hearted and he was thankful for that, because that would probably make it harder for him to kick the man in the balls when he deserved it. No, Robin kept a pretty level head around Slade, although he had trouble saying no when it came to any naked activities… so he would be late for chemistry.

* * *

The next morning Robin closed his carry-on bag after putting a couple of last things, like a notebook and a few pens, in it. He had brought a couple of books, or rather printouts in binders, with him as well. Regular books printed the last fifty years were rather rare, so Robin's reading-materials were mostly made up of reports and notes as well as written-down lectures and research-material. There were bound material as well, used in the regular education, but the teen had plowed through those pretty quickly and some of his tutors were now struggling to keep up with him.

"When is our plane leaving?" he asked.

Slade gave him an odd look.

"When we get there."

"Oh. Right…" Robin felt a bit foolish. Were there even commercial flights anymore, he wondered, and decided to ask Slade.

"The only regular flights are mostly for goods," the man told him. "I'm keeping the flight-industry very close to my chest. In case of a new war, I don't want everyone to know how to build and fly a plane."

"So I'm guessing little kids aren't allowed into the cockpit anymore, in case they might learn something?" Robin smirked.

Slade just snorted and shook his head at the silly comment.

"What should I wear?" the teen asked a while later, looking at the clothes which hadn't been packed for him.

"For travel you can wear jeans and a shirt," Slade told him. "The pet-tunics wouldn't be very appropriate outside."

"Yeah…" Robin grinned. "Don't want a riot in the streets after all…"

"You have become very full of yourself, haven't you?" Slade chuckled.

"Oh… had I been in the mood, I know what I would have answered to that…" Robin grinned. "And I can't help that people walk into walls while looking at me," he added with a fake, haughty voice.

"That has only happened a few times…" Slade snorted. People_ had_ been known to miss the doorway while their thoughts were obviously focused on Robin and the naughty things they would like to do with him. Men _and _women. Slade was both proud and a little on edge about the whole thing, but he couldn't punish his people for their thoughts. Well… he _could_, but… he probably would have to kill most of them in that case.

* * *

Slade snapped a leash to Robin's collar before they walked out of the building, but the teen was almost bouncing at the end of it with excitement. The man chuckled and his driver noticed the young man's enthusiasm as well.

"Good morning, Sir. Your pet seems happy about the trip?"

"He really is, Ben," the tyrant grinned and ruffled the teen's hair before grabbing his neck firmly and turning him into the driver's direction. "This is Ben, Robin; he will be our servant and driver on this trip."

Robin, who had been looking at the car, focused on the man in the driver's uniform and gasped. For a moment, if only second, it was like he had seen Alfred. When he looked closer there weren't much likeness, however, it was the whole, 'aging man in uniform', thing. Ben was younger, though, and not as tall and thin.

"Pleased to meet you, Sir," Robin greeted him. Slade might have said 'our' servant, and Robin knew he actually had a higher status as the man's pet than a servant had, but he was careful about being polite.

"Likewise… Robin, was it, Sir?" the driver asked Slade.

"That's right… like the little bird…" the man chuckled.

"Yes, likewise, Robin. Will it be fun to go on a trip with your Master? Very exciting isn't it? Ever been on a plane before?"

_Oh__ no, he's one of THOSE… _Robin sighed to himself. People tended to treat pets differently. Some ignored him completely, some leered at him, and some, like Ben, talked to him like he was four years old_. I can probably fly the plane myself, thank you very much…_

"It's very exciting, Sir! Are we going in this car? Will it go fast?" Robin could hear Slade trying to stifle a laugh next to him, but the man's fingers also tightened a bit on his neck. Robin knew that the best way to handle these kinds of people was to act like they seemed to expect, but his 'owner' obviously wanted to warn him about going too far.

"It will, but it's very safe," the driver beamed. "It has a bulletproof body and the underside has been built to be able to withstand mines."

"Master, will… will it be dangerous?" Robin asked, overacting with wobbly bottom lip and everything.

"Just get in the car, pet," the man muttered and slapped Robin's ass when he climbed in.

The car was spacious with a blacked out window separating the driver and the passengers. The seats themselves were the kind you sank into and the air conditioner made the leather pleasantly cool against Robin's skin. It was late autumn in New York, but the city had been hit by a bit of a heat wave which made the air muggy. As soon as Slade closed the door behind himself the man let out a small chuckle.

"You are making it very hard to keep a straight face when you act like that…" the man told him.

Robin studied his face carefully, making sure he really _was _amused, and not the other way around.

"Sorry," he said, just to be on the safe side, "but when people treat you like that… I was just having fun…" The man's words had told Robin that they couldn't be overheard here, so he could answer honestly.

"Yes, but if they realize that you are really making fun of them, they will get suspicious… You won't be the harmless little pet anymore."

"Was I ever?" Robin grinned.

"No, but you have to-"

"Yes, Sir, I know, I know…" the teen sighed. "I _do_ listen to you occasionally…"

"Wonderful," the man smirked.

Robin rolled his eyes. After this long Slade had finally let the rules about the collar slip a little, and he wasn't forced to act like a pet every moment it was on, as long as they were alone. He had to still be polite, though, and follow orders, and if Slade felt he had deserved it he could get a flick of the leash or two to stay in line, something that never happened when he wasn't wearing a collar.

"Oh, are we rolling? The engine is so quiet!" the teen suddenly exclaimed and looked out the window. "It's electronic, right? I'm learning about the new super-cell batteries your team invented, does this car have those?"

"It does, although an older version. This is only used for city-transport, though, so it's sufficient…" Slade answered.

"I wish they would have solved that back in my day…" Robin sighed. "Electric cars were not much more than a joke back then…"

"They would have found the answer eventually; they were on their way… It just took too long to charge them and they ran out too quickly. Most hybrids were a dead end, since they need regular fuel too. Hydrogen was better, and we're still working on that, but electricity is so much easier to come by if you know what you're doing."

"Yes, you're using a lot wave, sun and wind-power, right?" Robin said. "But I was wondering… are no nuclear-plants in use at all? Mr. Song almost looked sick when I asked about it…"

"I've decided that nuclear energy is a thing of the past in human history. It was an idiotic path to go down in the first place. Yes, it was efficient and very clean when everything worked, but the waste? And the potential accidents? It wasn't worth it. If a wind turbine breaks down the worst thing that can happen is that it falls on someone's head."

Robin smirked and nodded to himself. The amount of energy they could extract from the solar-panels and wind turbines and so on had also increased with the technology, so it was far more efficient than it used to be. Also, of course, there were less people needing power in the world now.

"Which airport are we going to?" Robin asked, trying to judge for himself by the direction the car went in.

"Not any you would know; the Brotherhood bombed those to smithereens. It was just easier to build in a new place."

"There's only one?"

"There's no need for more."

"Is it outside New York?"

"Yes, just," Slade nodded, and then the teen noticed that they were on a bridge and he was leaving Manhattan for the first time since he was… well… defrosted. "Should that smile worry me?" the man asked.

Robin chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm just looking forward to the trip… what will we be doing anyway?"

"I will make sure some people have stayed in line, and you will do your pet-routine," the man smirked.

Robin's face fell a little.

"So… same boring meetings and humiliation, just in a different country?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"But we'll have some fun, right? Like can we at least go to a beach or… or… buy ugly t-shirts?"

"Something tells me you haven't been much of a tourist?" Slade snorted.

"Busy saving the world… and failing…" Robin added the last bit a bit sullenly. "Then I was busy trying to save it again… I mean, I've been all over the globe, but not in flip-flops…"

"Flip-flops?"

"You know, those sandals with the strap between the toes… often plastic?"

"Oh, yes, now I remember. Why on earth would you want to wear those?"

"I don't know, apparently you are supposed to, on the beach…" Robin shrugged.

"If a pair still exists and if you find them, feel free to wear them to your heart's content…"

"You know what, Slade?" Robin snickered, "No offence, but sometimes I think we are both crazy…"

* * *

The airport was as well protected as a secret military-base and they had to pass several checkpoints to get in.

"And I thought air travel fifty _years_ ago had gotten a little unfriendly…" Robin muttered.

The car drove straight up to the plane, a large jet. Robin didn't recognize the model but the shape hadn't changed that much since his time. He knew the materials had, though, and the engines. They still ran on regular fuel but was more efficient and, as a result, more environmentally friendly.

Robin was so busy looking up at the plane that he almost didn't get his pet-face on in time when the door opened.

"Here we are, Sir, your luggage has been loaded and we're ready to go."

"Thank you, Ben. You are free to retire to your quarters, I'll call you if I need anything," Slade said as he grabbed Robin's leash. The teen followed him obediently and the fascination on his face as he walked up the stairs to the plane and then entered it was not faked.

First there was a small hallway of sorts and then a large compartment with a door at the end. Robin saw Ben disappear through there and, as soon as the man did, Slade removed the collar.

"Not that it makes much difference anymore, your insolence refuses to be bound…" the man commented at Robin's questioning look.

"When you're right, you're right…" Robin grinned and looked around. "Wow… Even Bruce's private jet at least mostly _looked_ like a jet inside… what is this? Office slash living-room? Is there an open fire too?"

"No, there was a problem with the chimney…" Slade snorted and sat down in one of the large, stuffed seats while Robin walked around, discovering the fridge and, in the back next to the door leading to the servant's compartment, were a bathroom complete with a shower cubicle. There were several stuffed chair like the one Slade was sitting in, but also a conference-table and chairs, all built in, of course. There was a large desk as well and a few computer screens. A sofa along one wall folded out to a bed, and in the front there was a small kitchenette with a stocked refrigerator.

"We really have to have sex here," Robin blurted out. "I've never had sex on a plane."

"You seem to be forgetting that I know exactly in what places, and what positions, you've had sex," Slade smirked. "But, of course. It's going to be a long flight. Until then regular rules apply, though, so sit down and buckle up."

As the plane had already started rolling, Robin did as he was told.

"I can't believe you use a seatbelt," Robin told the man. "I mean, what OH MY GOOOOD!"

"It has a bit of a kick, doesn't it?" the man smirked.

"Uh-huh…" Robin muttered, his body pressed back into the seat by the g-forces and the steep climb. His fingers were clutching the armrests and he was swallowing heavily. He wasn't used to stuff like this anymore.

"Once we level out you won't notice the speed," Slade told him. "By then we'll only go slightly faster than an old type jet."

"Yeah… I… I'm fine…" the teen murmured.

"You look a bit green. There should be bags in the side pocket of the chair if you-"

"Shut up!" Robin groaned. "I'm not gonna be sick! It's just like I was walking around in a living room and then I was on a rollercoaster… no one warned my stomach…"

"So I'm guessing you're not up for another ride?" the man smirked.

"Huh?" Robin blinked. Usually he understood what Slade meant, almost instinctively, but this one went over his head… until the man patted his lap in invitation. "Oh… nope… all out of tickets for the moo-ho-oh, that felt weird!"

"Not the words I wanted to hear…" the man snorted. He knew what the teen meant, however, because the plane had suddenly leveled out creating an almost falling sensation for a moment as the pressure disappeared.

"Where are we heading? You haven't told me anything apart from 'Asia'," Robin said as soon as he got his stomach under control.

"Our first stop is in Great Britain to refuel, and then we'll go to Bombay, India. From there we'll take a train to Calcutta and then, via Bangladesh, into China."

Robin knew the names of the countries were just that, only names. The countries themselves didn't exist anymore; they were only geographical regions just as the U.S. was. The cities that Slade had mentioned had to exist in one form or another, though, but Robin had seen a few current maps as he had been studying and he knew that the hours he had spent learning geography was a waste of time now; many cities just wasn't there anymore.

Still, even though their route was interesting, their means of transportation was even more so.

"Train? Aren't we gonna fly all the way?"

"We are making several stops and not all places have airports… besides, I think you want to experience the new bullet-trains and see some of the land… didn't you want to be a tourist?"

"Yeah… bullet-trains? Really?"

"I knew early on that I would restrict flights, so a very fast land-bound transport system was necessary. I've had very large work-forces building tracks over large parts of the world for the last ten years… with enough people and incentive, it's been quite successful."

"You mean like 'finish one mile by noon or you'll get shot?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Ah… you should be a motivational speaker…" the teen muttered.

"You'll enjoy the train, trust me," the man shrugged.

"Or I'll get shot?"

"Yes."

"It's going to be great!" Robin grinned and clapped his hands hysterically before suddenly stopping and giving the man a deadpan look. "How was that?"

"I believed it."

"Good…" the teen grinned, "Then I'm safe…"

"Speaking about safe… here," the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial, which he handed to Robin.

"You snuck in booze? What if we get caught?" the teen gasped.

"Very funny. Drink up."

"It's the longevity drug, isn't it? You're topping me off?"

"It is and I am… who knows, with your prowess to getting in trouble you'll walk straight into a tiger."

"I probably will…" the teen nodded and swallowed the contents of the vial with a small grimace. "Tell them to add mint or something…"

Robin got up to explore the plane a bit more. The windows were bigger then he had ever seen on a jet, but they were over the ocean now on a clear day, so there wasn't much of interest to see. He yawned. It was embarrassing to admit, but he had had trouble sleeping last night, thinking about the trip. He threw himself down on the couch and stretched out. Before he knew it he was asleep.

* * *

The teen woke up and felt a little bit disoriented for a moment before remembering where he was. He checked his watch, discovering that his nap had only lasted for half an hour, but he felt refreshed and raring to go once more. He looked around, fully expecting to find Slade working, but blinked as that wasn't the case.

Slade was still in his chair, though he had folded the backrest down a little and he seemed to be… asleep? Robin grinned and got up silently. Slade slept every night as far as he knew, well, almost every night, sometimes he did work through it, but he had never known him to nap.

Well, Robin wasn't tired anymore, he was on his way to see a world he had never experienced before, and he was on this amazing plane… there was really only one thing to do…

Slade woke up when someone slipped onto his lap. A very naked someone, he felt as his hands came up to grab his assaulter on pure instinct.

"It's sex-time…" Robin purred.

Slade of course welcomed the fact that Robin took the initiative now, especially as he did it quite often. There was one thing that set the teen off more than others, though and that was the sense of adventure… get some adrenaline coursing through the boy's veins and you could get him on his back within minutes. A bored Robin, on the other hand, had the sex-drive of a piece of driftwood.

"I'm sleeping…" the man muttered, as he had decided to see what playing hard to get would get him. "Maybe if you wake me up in my favorite way?"

"Aw, man… do I have t-"

"Robin."

"Fine…" the teen sighed and slid down in front of the chair.

"You're getting better at this," Slade said a while later.

"What, was I ever _bad_?" Robin snorted, taking a little break.

"Well, fellatio is an art that benefits from the giver learning a few techniques…" the man smirked. "But, I have to admit, sometimes you are fantastic… that only seems to happen when you want me to come as quickly as possible, though… sometimes I think I should have you tutored in this too…"

"Yeah! Can I pick the tutor?" Robin grinned.

"No."

"Well, you know it would help if _you_ did it to_ me_ a bit more…" the teen pointed out.

"I do."

"Right, like once or twice…"

"I never have to repeat a fighting-combination more than that, but you pick_ that_ up…" the tyrant muttered. "Go back to work… do a good job and I'll suck you off later…"

Robin did and was rewarded accordingly.

Hours later Robin groaned as he tried to get off from the desk after… well… getting off _on_ the desk. The pilot had just let them know via the intercom system that they were about to land to refuel.

"I think we just managed the first transatlantic non-stop fucking…" the teen grunted and hobbled to his chair.

"Well, this flight lacks both flight attendants and in flight movies… we have to spend the time _somehow_…" the man shrugged, but gave the teen a rather smug look.

"I don't want to think about what you do when you go on business trips alone…" Robin shuddered.

"I work."

"_Sure _you do."

"I assure you I rarely leave the desk."

"Well,_ I_ haven't left the desk either for about half an hour…" the teen pointed out cheekily.

"Seatbelt."

"What? It's not gonna be as bad as-_OHMYGOD_!"

They were soon on their way again, without even leaving the plane. Robin looked out of the windows curiously as they stood on the ground, but apart from runways, a military-looking flight tower a few people manning the fuel truck and a low building there were nothing to be seen.

"Where are we?"

"Heathrow."

"No? Really?" Robin gaped and looked out again. The terminals, the large glass buildings, nothing was left.

"Where Heathrow_ used_ to be, I should say. Some outer runways were pretty much undamaged so it was decided to rebuild here."

"It's scary…" the teen muttered.

"It gets worse," Slade said, and he was right.

Robin had been to India before, although not Bombay, and the three things he remembered the most were the people, the traffic and the smell. It wasn't a _bad_ smell, well… not _all_ the time, but it was very distinct. The _traffic_ was bad, though. Very bad. But now… Like New York the city had shrunk, parts of it leveled by bombs. The lack of people was the real eye-opener though. Robin was used, now, to seeing the streets in New York more or less empty, but here it was not because people were being kept away working, but because so many had died during the Brotherhood's experiment with biological weapons. The country which used to have over a billion people, now, according to Robin's current affairs tutor, didn't even have one million left. Granted, Slade's rule declared a very strict birth-control, as the man didn't want the world's population to grow out of control again, and without that there might have been more people around, but still… Robin shivered as he stepped out of the car with Slade.

"Spooky…" he whispered and felt the leash tighten a bit, a reminder that he shouldn't speak out of turn in public. Robin ducked his head quickly to show that he had understood.

They had taken a car from the airport, with Ben driving, and were now at a hotel where they would stay for two days. Robin was half dead on his feet, and a bit sore too after they had continued their activities on the plane on and off for most of the flight. He had slept a bit too, and eaten, but was still both tired and starving for some reason. It felt like someone had spun him around for a long time and just let go. Slade stopped to speak with Ben and someone else inside, maybe the hotel manager, and Robin was trying his best to keep his eyes open but was more or less leaning on Slade, sleeping standing up.

"Schedule the first meeting tonight at six, I think my pet is a bit jetlagged…" Slade chuckled. "Send up lunch for two as soon as you can, other than that I have some work to catch up on."

_I hope he doesn't mean me, 'cause I'm VERY caught up…_ Robin said and tried not to yawn in the hotel manager's face.

Robin didn't even bother to look at the suite. He had seen enough luxury both with Bruce and with Slade, and fluffy towels didn't really impress him anymore. A log cabin would have been a hell of a lot more interesting. He fell right onto the bed and got almost ten minutes of sleep before room service came. Slade waved the servants away so they could eat in privacy. Robin didn't much notice what he put in his mouth but it was good, and spicy too.

"Did you really exterminating curry…?" he asked curiously as he had expected the stew they had been served to taste of it.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you told me so, a long time ago… we were talking about saffron, and-"

"Oh yes, I remember. Well, no, it was a joke, more or less. Curry, after all, is a blend of spices, not a true spice by itself."

"I… actually didn't know that…" Robin blinked. "So you have not gone after curry-lovers, then?"

"Of course not, I just don't care for the taste myself. If the supervisor in a region wants to divert some of his or her resources to produce curry powder and if there's a demand for it, they are free to do so. I do have a last say about what they are allowed to produce but when it comes to food I don't tend to be strict. I have more important things to do."

The look the man was giving him made Robin suspect that those more important things involved doing _him_, but he didn't mind. It was nice to be more important than a spice-blend.

"I'd like to sleep some more after this… I feel half dead…" Robin confessed, looking longingly on the bed.

"Of course. Just eat up and take a shower first so you'll be ready to leave when I wake you," the man nodded.

Robin was used to 'orders' like this, and he didn't mind them much. Slade was simply always planning things out beforehand, and decided what should be done in what order, and Robin was the same way. He _could_ argue that, if Slade just woke him up half an hour _before_ the meeting, he could shower_ then_, but that would most likely lead to an explanation about how it was much more logical for Robin to shower first, for whatever reason. It almost always did. That, however, helped Robin to obey, because he knew there was a reason behind it Slade was not just giving orders, or 'suggestions', to be bossy. The teen was pretty sure that this was one of the most important lessons about the man he had ever learned.

With this in mind Robin dragged himself to the shower after stuffing his face. He was dead tired as he popped a Denta-Tab in his mouth and stepped under the hot spray. He decided to make it quick, but the heat and the rich scents from the soap and shampoo worked its magic on him, and suddenly he woke up, leaning against the tiles. He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't fallen and got out, drying himself as he went. There was a pair of pajamas laid out for him on the bathroom counter and he slipped the pants on before going out into the main suite, leaving the top. It was warm enough without it.

"Did you fall asleep in the shower?" Slade asked him the moment the man spotted him.

"I was gone that long?" Robin blinked, having no idea how the man could possibly know.

"No, but you have tile-marks on your forehead…" the man smirked, sounding as close to cracking up as Slade ever did.

"Oh… kay… night…" Robin mumbled, although he knew that he would only be allowed to sleep until that evening. Still, collapsing on the bed again felt like heaven.

"Actually I think you better sleep on the pet-bed this time," Slade interrupted his decent into slumber-land.

"The what now?" Robin asked groggily and raised his head. Then he saw it, in the far corner. It was big and looked comfortable, with more pillows than a team of pillow-fighters could ever want, but… not only was it grating on Robin's still very existing pride, it was also soooo faaaar away… "Noo-oh…" he mumbled and buried his head in the pillow he already had.

"It's expected. You are only supposed to be in my bed when I have… _use_ for you, that's the tradition here. If the staff should walk in…"

"Oh for crying out loud…" the teen groaned and then raised his hips, tugging his pajama-bottoms half-way down his ass and spread his legs a little. "Now it looks like you just had 'use' for me… happy?"

"No, now I'll have trouble focusing on work…" the man grumbled, but Robin couldn't care less, as he was quickly falling asleep again.

**To be continued **

…**as soon as it's done! But I only have a page done so… but I'll try to write like hell! But not in a bad way! Err… Yeah… to be continued… **

* * *

A/N:

X-MAS-drabbles update!

Well, if you read my "Delightful Drabbles" collection, or my journal on Deviant Art, this is not news to you:

I've started gathering ideas for Christmas drabbles. I will post one drabble every day, from the 1-25 of December, and it will alternate between dark and light drabbles, where light can be anything from fluffy to cracky and dark can be anything from just serious to "everybody gets raped and killed".

The rules are to give me an idea, or a word or a sentence, either light or dark…

The idea can NOT, however be:

a sequel or belong to any of my universes, it needs to be freestanding

a crossover

something very close to what I've already written, unless there's a whole new spin on it…

I'd rather not deal with characters I haven't written before

- it doesn't have to be Christmas-themed, but if you think of something I haven't done in other X-mas stories, go ahead!

I put all the ideas on my list and then pick my favs, or those who speak to me, from them! I've already started picking, and, in fact, one is done!

But I still have many gaps to fill! Especially dark stories! And I've gotten many suggestions for AU-stories, so a few more canon-like would be nice… Remember, it can just be a word, but a sentence or some kind of question or something would be nice too… And if you can come up with a nice REASON for Slade to be a real S.O.B, please tell me… I think I love the guy too much… ;)

Love

/Wynja

PS. I'm on Pottermore, so if you are too, friend me! I'm MagicHowl81 –cringes at username- WHY couldn't people been allowed to pick their own usernames?


	22. New Point of View, Part 2

**A/N: **In this part I go into the subject of the Indian caste-system. I do not want any of you to take what this story says at face value; I know almost nothing about it and how it works in the practical day-to-day life of modern India, and I hope not to offend anyone… it just needed to be mentioned because… well… you'll see, I guess… ;)

I have a POLL on my bio-page, about whether or not you'd like to friend me on facebook… also thinking of starting a private group for discussions/ideas/reading tips and stuff… but a few people has to be interested first, I think, to start a group… never done that… ;)

Oh, and I'm SORRY! This was only supposed to be two parts, but stuff happened on their trip and the original reason for this story has STILL not happened, so there will be a THIRD part… It's my fault because I let the characters do whatever they like…

* * *

**New Point of View, Part 2**

Robin woke up from Slade smacking his ass. It was only a playful smack, but it still stung like hell. Slade was not a man you would want to play with your children or small pets.

"You have twenty minutes to get ready."

Robin groaned and sat up. It felt like he had only been asleep for a minute or so. He spotted an outfit on the bed and blearily wondered if someone really had been in there and seen him sleeping half naked or not. He couldn't find the energy to really care.

He slipped the garment on; it was one of his usual half-see-through tunics, this one white with a bit of gold embroidery around the hems. Nothing gaudy, but enough so that Slade couldn't be accused for keeping his pet poorly outfitted. Robin then kicked his pajama-pants off all the way and fell back on the bed.

"There. Nineteen minutes more sleep…" he mumbled.

"Up."

"Oh, please, no…? I promise I'll dream of something really dirty that you can do to me later… just let me _sleep_…" Robin groaned.

"_Up_."

Robin muttered something ugly under his breath but hauled himself to his feet. When Slade used_ that_ voice you didn't disobey. Well._ Twice_. Unless you wanted to get spanked.

"Go wash up, you look like shit," the man told him charmingly. He was right, though, the teen discovered, because poofy bags under the eyes and a pillow-imprint across half his face didn't exactly scream 'pretty'. Not that Robin necessarily _wanted_ to look pretty, but that was what Slade's business-contacts would expect. It was part of the deal. A bit of cold water and gentle massage took care of the face and a brush dealt with his hair which had dried in a very weird style.

"Better," Slade said as he got out.

"Why, _thank_ you, pumpkin!" Robin smirked.

"Just because we're half around the world you shouldn't forget yourself…" the man cautioned him.

"Sorry…_ Master_ pumpkin," Robin amended.

"Do you want to walk out that door with a red ass?"

"No."

"Then what will you do?"

"Behave," Robin sighed.

"Yes you will," the man said in a low, warning tone.

Robin already knew that pets, or slaves, were more common here. A free household usually had quite a lot, acting as servants and whatever their masters wanted. To have many pets was also a status-symbol, and the prettier, the better. Robin couldn't help but wonder if Slade would be looked down on for only having one, but, on the other hand, people probably valued their life…

The meeting was in what appeared to be the hotel's restaurant, although it was empty of any customers besides themselves. Robin soon tuned out the conversation and started watching the entertainment; a group of what he assumed where pets, both men and women, dancing in a sensual, but not overly sexual, way on a raised stage, while soft music was playing. His head was resting against Slade's thigh, and he had gotten a pillow to sit on for once. He didn't know what he thought of this pet-culture, but he approved of the pillow! The music and the movements of the dancers were almost mesmerizing and Robin felt himself getting heavier. He really hadn't gotten enough sleep, or at least not in one go, and pretty soon he was dozing against his so-called-Master's leg.

* * *

"So how long are we going to stay in Bombay?"

"Until the day after tomorrow. We'll leave in the morning."

"By train?"

"Yes."

"How fast does it go? Are we going to travel to Calcutta straight away, or are we making stops? When will-"

"Robin, it's two in the morning, go to sleep!"

"But I'm not tired!"

"That's because you slept all day and all evening. You drooled on my thigh, by the way…"

"Sorry, but_ will_ we stop along-"

"Quiet."

"Come on, it's not like you need to sleep much anyway!" Robin snorted. "Can't we just talk for a while?"

"Jetlag affects me too, and I _haven't _been napping, I've been working. Add the heat and yes, Robin, I need a few hours. Want me to gag you?"

The teen sighed, feeling frustrated. He really was wide awake and-

"Oh, can I go out and explore the city?"

"Not a chance."

"But-"

Slade moved, winding one arm around the teen, keeping him from running away, while he clamped his other hand over Robin's mouth.

"There. Problem solved. I don't care if you sleep, but you _will_ stay still and quiet, or you'll find yourself tied and gagged on the pet bed."

Robin thought it was strange that even after Slade surely was asleep, his grip didn't loosen enough so he could even squirm.

* * *

The next day Robin felt more rested, after eventually falling asleep in Slade's death-grip. All day consisted of a long row of short meetings, however, although they got to leave the hotel for some of them. The teen still found the emptiness creepy, but he was slowly getting used to it, like he had done in New York, and at least the disaster that had hit this part of the world felt old; there were no sign of human bones in the street, after all. Around fifty years had gone by and, although large parts of the city had been destroyed and abandoned, the parts that were in use had been cleaned up nicely.

They went to three factories and one school, where Slade met their managers and inspected the progress. No one was killed, so Robin supposed they must be doing well. Everywhere they went, Slade was presented with small gifts. At the school the principal, or whatever title the man might have held, gave the man a collar, meant for Robin, of course. Slade admired it and then, to the teen's chagrin, switched the simple, thin leather-one he was wearing, for the new wide red and gold one with green jewels. Well. It reminded him of his old costume, at least… had that really been that gaudy, though?

Slaves and pets were still everywhere, and, Slade explained to him when they had a moment to themselves in the car, most of the enslaved people actually lived in 'family' homes, not in slave-buildings, unless they were being trained for some specific profession.

"So why is that not the case in the US?" the teen asked, because it seemed the people here were one hell of a lot better treated than the faceless masses in the slave-lodgings back home.

"Mostly due to tradition and culture. In this part of the world this way evolved naturally."

"You make it sound like Indians are some kind of natural slave-keepers!" Robin snorted. "Thinking about our_ own_ history…"

"Yes, but that_ was_ history. India, however, still practiced the caste-system. Although the system has been undergoing changes, the idea of 'untouchables' and that certain positions were reserved for certain casts, were still fresher in _their _minds than owning slaves were in most American's. This new system has nothing to do with the old one, the rules and religious views do not apply, but the basic principle, of defining groups of people in that kind of manner, helped this kind of community to evolve."

"All countries had a caste-system! We just called it like 'lower middle class' and things like that…" Robin snorted.

"In a way, yes, but there are important differences. I'll get you some reading-material on the subject if you are interested," the man said.

Robin shrugged, but then nodded. If he was to accompany Slade on more trips it never hurt to know about the past cultures which had shaped the current ones.

"I don't get why everyone just couldn't be free…" he muttered.

"Because then I'd lose control," Slade said. "And I hate losing control."

"But-"

"Don't push it, Robin."

The teen snorted and crossed his arms, leaning back into the car seat.

"And don't pout about it either," Slade smirked.

"I can and I will!" Robin snapped. "Besides, I'm going to change your mind about slaves, just you wait."

"I'll give you a hundred years or so, then…" the man chuckled.

"Give me ten days and a couch to sleep on."

"No deal."

"Damn."

Not that it would work, and Robin knew that from experience. He really needed something to control his own hormones. Maybe he should as Duncan… having no sex-drive for a week or so might do some great things for the world…

The afternoon was spent mainly at their hotel room, and Robin was banished to the pet-bed during most meetings. He entertained himself by stretching out in the most suggestive poses he could, giving both Slade and most of his guests a hard time. Literally. A few of them had brought pets of their own, but Slade came up with very compelling reasons to keep Robin away from them. The teen pretended to sulk about it, but, of course, he felt quite the opposite.

"Did you have fun?" Slade said dryly as the next person on the list had left.

"Yup… Did he really offer to buy me?"

"It was a good offer too, I should have taken it…" the man muttered. "His family's silks are famous…"

"Ah, you'd miss me…"

"Come here…" the man smirked.

Robin wasn't quite sure he liked the expression, but did get up from the pet bed and walked over.

"Get under the table."

"You're kidding?"

"No."

"But you have more people coming!"

"I do. Any time. Get going."

"Slade-!"

"I can always wait to order you until they arrive. You know you can't disobey me then."

Robin growled but got on his knees and crawled under the rather small table.

"No time to lose, I'm sure," the man said airily and Robin fished him out.

"I can't reach, spread your legs!" he complained, trying to find a good angle to do this without knocking himself bloody on the table. He had just gotten the head into his mouth when the door opened.

"Continue, Robin," Slade told him calmly, as he ushered the next person in, apologizing for not standing up. "It's been a long day… just reliving some tension, you know…" he said amiably.

"Oh, I do know, there is no problem!" a cheery male voice answered.

Robin heard and felt the chair behind him pull out and someone sit down. He shuffled forward, but that only meant choking on Slade's cock, and, by the feel of things, the man didn't mind. Robin minded, but was trapped. He felt how red his face was, but at least he couldn't be seen, and besides, it was Slade who was naked! Sure, Robin was just wearing his tunic, but at least he didn't have his cock in the air…

The teen switched to a new angle, trying to work the head better with his lips as he also used one of his hands to bring the damn man off as soon as he could. Above the table he could hear discussions about numbers, and whatever. He shouldn't be surprised that Slade could still hold up his end of a conversation while being sucked off, but it was a bit disheartening all the same.

The teen suddenly sniffed. His nose might be buried in Slade's crotch, but there was something else in the air now, apart from the man's musk…

_What the hell IS that…__? _Robin thought to himself and then it occurred to him; foot odor! He then felt something slide up his outer leg and coughed, trying to look backwards. He saw an abandoned slipper-like shoe and a man's leg, moving up and down, stroking him with a naked, smelly foot.

"Uuh-uh!" Robin garbled, trying to tell Slade that something was wrong.

"He sounds very dedicated, your pet, Sir," the feet-person said.

"Oh, he is," the teen heard Slade agree, completely missing the SOS-call.

_Right… As I can't move, I better just get him off before this gets any worse…_ Robin thought to himself and set to work again with his original plan. Unfortunately it _got _worse pretty quickly. The feet-guy was now stroking his _inside_ thigh, working his way up. Robin growled quietly and worked even faster and harder, not caring if he was actually hurting Slade by now. The guy liked it rough sometimes. Robin just hoped that was now.

The foot was getting bolder, it was up under his tunic, and Robin wasn't wearing any underwear. He had tried to, once, but they were so visible they only made people ogle him _more_.

"Mph!" _What the fuck?_ The guy's toes were fondling his balls now! Robin was tempted to back up and get out of there, although that would of course mean getting the man's foot up his ass. Although that seemed to be where he was heading anyway… He tried to weigh his options. Disobeying Slade in front of a stranger would probably get him severely punished… maybe he'd get sent home if the man got angry enough… on the other hand, maybe the man would get angry with the pervert, for having perverted foot-sex with Robin without permission? That might lead to the man's messy death, though, and hey, maybe this was the custom here… 'if the slave is sucking off his master under the table, feel free to-'

"MMMPfh!" '-rape his ass with your foot.'

"Oh, god boy, Robin… you'll get your reward now…" Slade said finally, _finally_ came.

As soon as the man had softened enough so Robin could get his cock out of his mouth without backing up, the teen crawled out from under the table. His place was on the floor next to Slade, after all, so the man couldn't really blame him for moving. When the man smiled down at him and petted his head, Robin gave him the most baleful look in the history of spitefulness.

The meeting went on, with Slade discreetly tucking himself in, and the pet didn't say a word. When it was over and Slade had shown the man out, he chuckled and turned to the teen.

"You're really that upset about sucking me off?"

"No, I'm upset about having the big toe of a stranger shoved up my ass!"

"What?"

"He foot-raped me!"

Slade's gaze turned into ice.

"Why didn't you_ say_ anything?"

"Because I didn't know who you were gonna kill; me or him!" Robin exclaimed. "Besides, I didn't know if it was… okay…"

"Of course it's not okay!" the man growled, and looked at the door like he was thinking of running out of it and hunt the man down.

"Well, I didn't really want more people dead because of me either…" Robin muttered. "Even perverts…"

"So if I kill him now, you are going to be upset?" Slade growled.

"A bit…"

"May I hurt him? And I'm not asking you because I _have _to, if I decide to stomp on his head I will, I'm asking because I smelled those feet… and the thought of them…" the man shuddered and looked like he was going to be sick. "Maybe I feel like you have been upset enough for one night…"

"How about… you can make him a slave aaaand share a shower with me?" Robin offered, feeling generous as Slade was being border-line sweet to him.

"Deal. But I'm not going to send him anywhere nice."

"I never said you had to…" Robin grinned widely.

"He might not survive a month…"

"Not my problem."

"Good. Consider it done…" the man smirked.

* * *

The next morning Robin was excited again, although not about very nice shower-sex, but about trains.

"It looks amazing!" he said, staring at the silver-colored, sleek train engine and the passenger cars behind it. He kept his voice down as he was, of course, in full pet-gear again.

"It's a train," Slade shrugged, but Robin could see by a small, smug grin that the man approved.

There were goods-carts as well as passenger cars, Robin now discovered, and they weren't alone on the platform; there were several other travelers bordering the train as well.

Ben, who had reappeared the way only a truly skilled servant could, were making sure their luggage was carried onboard while Slade and Robin strolled towards the vehicle, the teen almost at the end of his line, in the literal sense. Although they didn't have a private car, they had a private compartment, and, luckily, after letting Slade know some last details, Ben performed his disappearance-act again.

The compartment was comfy and laid out in the classical manner of two rows of seats facing each other with a foldable table in between. The wall and door leading out to the corridor had glass panes in them, but there were blinds you could pull down for privacy. The colors were made up of dark woods and dark, rich green upholstery and made the inside of the modern train look almost classical. A door led into a small bathroom and shower-unit, and if Robin had doubted it before, a private bathroom made him certain that this was the first-class car. Every visible metal detail was a brass, polished until it looked like gold. There was not a speck of dust anywhere, but the teen guessed that you wouldn't ever do a half-assed job if your life literally depended on it. He shivered.

"Could you take the leash off?" the teen asked as soon as the coast was clear.

"No, it's too public," Slade answered, shaking his head.

"In that case it's too public for train-sex as well…" Robin muttered.

"It is."

"What? Nooo… really?"

"Are you _constantly_ horny?" the man chuckled.

"I don't know what else to _use _you for!" Robin smirked back.

"Be a good boy or I won't take you to visit the driver," Slade warned.

"Yes, Master!" Robin grinned wider, looking forwards to see some new technology in action.

The train set off shortly after, and ran not only fast but surprisingly smoothly and quietly as well. Slade kept his promise and Robin was soon seeing the speed from the driver's point of view.

The inside of the locomotive seemed only slightly less complex than the cockpit on a plane. Robin had thought this thing could be handled with a 'start' and a 'stop' button, but apparently not.

"It is my pet's first time, please tell him a bit about the railway," Slade asked the crew, and the driver himself started gushing out information like a hyped-up guide.

Robin didn't even catch half of it, but apparently the railway itself was very important.

"The metal in the rails are revolutionary. It is strong and the material, as well as the way it is laid; almost seamlessly, makes sure that it doesn't bend out of shape even in extreme temperature changes. There are sensors in the rail itself, keeping track of every train-set, and the electricity actually comes from the track as well, although the feeders are only active as a train passes or stands still on it," the driver explained.

Robin was used to everybody speaking English; it was the only language permitted in education and official circumstances world wide. Slade had decided this so it would be easier to coordinate the planet's resources and people. The driver spoke with a distinct accent, like most people Robin had heard here so far, but had it not been for the rush of words, the teen thought he would understand him perfectly. One thing had caught his attention, though.

"Forgive me, Master, may I ask a question? Isn't that dangerous? To have the rail electrified? I mean… running across countries, out in the open like this?"

"It only is for the length of the train itself and a few feet in front and in back, and the chargers are in grooves, running on the inside of each rail, feeding power to special receptors on the wheels. It can be dangerous, yes, but…" the man looked up at Slade, a bit unsurely.

"What I think he is trying to say is that it's a very good solution, and if you are enough of an idiot not to mind the safety procedures, this world can spare you. It is not liable for your health; you are."

"Yes Master," Robin nodded and understood. Who could you sue, anyway, and_ how,_ as there was no real justice system?

Back in their own compartment Robin settled down to look out the window as the landscape outside blurred past.

"There's so much wilderness…" he mumbled.

"Yes… nature has reclaimed big parts of this country. The only land cleared is that needed for farming or keeping cattle, and as everything is organized and divided, less land is needed and nothing much goes to waste."

"Yeah, yeah, it still doesn't make up for most people being slaves…" Robin muttered.

"I would say you are hard to please, but we both know that's not true…" Slade smirked.

"Which is lucky for _you_…"

"Was that an insult?"

"Was that a food-cart?"

"Would you like to get kicked off the train?" the man growled.

"No?" Robin said, looking nonplussed. "I'd like to get a snack..?"

Fifteen minutes later the train slowed down and came to a complete stop in what looked more like a small factory with surrounding buildings than a town.

"This is our first stop, come on," Slade said and stood up, tugging at the leash he had never let go off.

"You have a meeting here?"

"Yes."

"But what if the train leaves?"

"It won't. It's following my schedule," the man explained.

"Wait… what? So the other passengers have to wait for you?"

"Yes."

"And they are okay with that?"

"Well… that's the thing… If I say that they don't have anywhere more important to be, they don't…" Slade smirked. "They are mine, after all."

"Oh, god, I'd like to see you pull that off in the New York subway fifty years ago…" Robin snickered, and then quickly schooled his face before they stepped out of the compartment.

They made several stops that day, but none lasted more than half an hour, tops. When night started to fall, Ben reappeared and, with a few clever moves, turned their seats into two beds.

"What, no pet-bed?" the teen asked dryly when they were alone again.

"Ben is well informed of our arrangement, and on the road it won't draw too much attention…" Slade shrugged as he pulled the blinds down. "Where are you going?"

"Erm… thought I'd take a quick shower?" Robin said.

"Wait until morning… the water tanks are not that big, after all."

"Right… forgot we were on a train…" Robin shrugged and grinned a bit foolishly. "So… bed, then?"

"I have some reading to do, but feel free to sleep if you're tired…" the man nodded as he unbuttoned his shirt. Robin watched him undress before slipping on a pair of boxer-briefs himself and pulling off his tunic. It felt a bit strange to put _on _underwear at the _end_ of the day, but it was a bit warm for pajamas, even with the AC, and he didn't want to be buck naked if Ben decided to stop by.

He slipped into his bed, which was made up with real sheets and no low quality stuff either. He turned on his side, seeing Slade reading on the other side of the compartment.

"This feels weird…" he mumbled.

"What? The train?" Slade asked and looked over at him over the top of some pages.

"No… not… Ah, forget it…"

"And now you made me curious…"

"You will just… well… you'll either think I'm weird or you'll get all smug and… I don't know…" the teen muttered and rolled over on his back, throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Tell me."

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Fine."

"Well… it's just weird to… not share a bed with you… that you are like… all the way over there."

Slade suddenly had a bit of a coughing-fit.

"You _said _you wouldn't laugh!" Robin complained, his face rather red my now.

"Oh... I'm… not…" the man blatantly lied. "You know that I can reach you bunk from here, right?"

"Oh, just go to hell…" Robin muttered and turned his back on his tormentor.

"I shouldn't have… _coughed_, perhaps…" Slade said after a moment. "It's all very natural after all…"

"_What_ is?" Robin muttered suspiciously.

"Well, I am a very handsome, sexy man, and an amazing lover… and I bring you to this exotic place… of course you will fall in love with me…"

"_WHAT?"_ Robin's yell could probably be heard throughout the train. "I'm _NOT_! Absolutely _NOT_!"

"And still you can't stand to be apart from me…" the man smirked in exactly the smug kind of way the teen had feared he would.

"I just…_ AAARRRGH_!" Robin was pulling at his hair. "_God_, you are the biggest bastard on _earth_! Literally! I'll love you the day there are no slaves on this planet, okay?"

"Ah… so you want me to kill them all?"

Robin gave the man the best of his glares and Slade chuckled and went back to his reading.

* * *

Robin woke up from a weird feeling. At first he couldn't figure out what it was, but after a moment it came to him; they were standing still. His body was immediately tense and he quietly slunk out of bed and over to Slade's bunk.

"Wake up."

"What's wrong?"

"We've stopped!"

"Yes, the train makes a few stops during the night as well, but there's no one I need to meet at these stations. It's perfectly in order."

Robin was about to nod as he heard a noise. To someone else it might have been nothing, just some unidentifiable sound in the night, but the hero knew it very well, and, judging by how Slade sat up, so did he. Someone had tried to scream and been cut off.

"So… is everything still perfectly in order, do you think?" Robin asked dryly.

"I doubt it…" Slade growled. "Let's go take a look…"

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: Go check out that poll now! ; )

And yes, that was a cliffy.

And I'm not sorry. It's a good place to stop. ;)


	23. New Point of View, Part 3

**A/N: **Hello everybody! If you are one of those who wanted to become my facebook-friend, go to "Delightful Drabbles" and check out the, right now, last drabble called "Is My Face Red?" for info on how to make it happen! ;)

Here it is, the last part of this drabble-series…

* * *

**New Point of View, Part 3**

Slade slipped out of the compartment as quietly as a shadow, wearing just his underwear and nothing else. Robin followed suit. Everything was very quiet and pitch black apart from the moon and a few electrical lights outside.

"There," Robin whispered as he saw a shadow move right outside the train.

"Saw it," Slade mumbled back. Another choked scream, sounding like a monkey, but they both heard the differences. This one came from much further on, though.

"There's more than one," Robin pointed out.

Slade unhooked a fire ax from the wall and handed it back to the teen.

"Be careful." It was an order.

Robin nodded, knowing Slade had excellent night-vision, and followed him closely. It was strange to see the man like this, _moving_ like this, when he had gotten used to seeing him behind a desk with a paper folder in his hand. Suddenly Robin was reminded of how deadly the man really was.

When you knew what to listen for, things seemed to be happening all over the place. Slade knocked softly on a door, and after a moment, Ben opened it, looking like he was still sleeping.

"Sir?"

"There's trouble. Stay inside, away from the windows and lock the door."

"Y-yes Sir… your... your pet? Should I take care of him?"

"Thank you, there's no need, he'll come with me," the man said and closed the door in the surprised-looking servants face.

"Yeah, this pet can take care of himself…" Robin snorted.

"You better," Slade growled.

They made their way through several carts where everything seemed quiet, until they came to one where the door to the platform was open and a figure was slumped on the ground just outside.

"Dead," Slade said quietly as he quickly bent down to feel the man's pulse. "A conductor. Throat sliced. Good."

"Good?"

"Yes… it might mean that they don't have fire-arms…"

"Well, I think I'd prefer getting shot…" Robin muttered, but understood what the man was on about.

"Try not to find out for sure…"

The teen snorted softly and then his eyes, getting used to the darkness, narrowed.

"The front of the train…"

Slade nodded, and they were off.

The train seemed to have stopped at a regular station, but there wasn't much here. The platform was large, probably to load and unload cargo, and the only light was coming from a small, low building that seemed to be nothing more than a waiting hall. The light didn't even reach the train, and Robin thought it was odd, as trains probably usually stopped here at night. He looked up, and against the slightly brighter night sky he could see the silhouettes of a row of floodlights mounted on a high metal frame. He could just make out a similar row on the other side of the platform.

"They cut the power or destroyed the lights," he murmured.

"First option I should think. This is mainly a maintenance station, to refill on water and provisions. If it was blacked out when the train came in I doubt the driver would have stopped."

"Quicker to cut the power, yeah…" Robin nodded. "So what do you think they are after?"

"My bet is on the cargo."

"Not you, then?"

"I never announce my route."

"Okay... but the cargo is in the back…?" Robin said, pointing over his shoulder towards the last carts.

"I think they want to make sure that the train doesn't leave…" Slade said dryly.

"The driver!" Robin called out and sprinted towards the engine.

"Robin! Stay! …shit…" Slade growled and then followed quickly.

Robin and Slade did not quite have the same outlook on fighting. Slade was a planner. He watched and then he acted. Robin… just mainly threw himself in there…

The first thing he saw was two men holding a third, while a forth guy was resting what seemed to be a machete to the captured man's chest. The weapon-holder was not looking at his intended victim, however, but up at a window in the driver's cabin. He shouted something Robin could barely understand, but he got the general meaning; come out or we'll kill him. The prisoner was a steward on the train, Robin could tell that much from the uniform, and the driver must have locked himself in… or maybe it was an automatic safety-feature.

All this ran quickly through the teen's mind, but then it was time for action. He was coming up behind the two men and the prisoner, and with a great leap he flew above them, twisted in the air, and hit the machete out of the forth man's hand with the blunt side of the ax, probably hitting a few fingers as well.

The men cried out and Robin smirked about scaring the living daylights out of them. He landed on the balls of his feet and immediately kicked backwards, hitting one of the men holding the prisoner in the chest. The man went down, wheezing and clutching his front, but Robin had already turned his attention to the machete-man.

This guy obviously wasn't used to nearly naked teens dropping from the sky and crushing his hand, but he recovered rather well. He didn't recover from the axe-handle hitting him in the face, however, but went down nicely.

"Ungh!" Robin suddenly lost all air, and swore to himself as he discovered that the third man had seen, and grabbed, his leash. He had completely forgotten about the short leather strap when he had gone to bed, and now it had been hanging down his back. He lost his balance and fell on his back, but rolled backwards and swung up his legs. Using his naked feet, he grabbed the man, who was still pulling on the leash, around the neck and rolled back, sending the guy flying into the asphalt. By this time it became clear that the men had not been alone, however, because when Robin looked around, he saw Slade being quite busy with ten more.

"Heads up!" the teen called and let the ax fly through the air. Slade caught it easily and immediately put the safety-item to a kind of use it might not have been _designed_ for, but turned out to be_ very_ good at.

Robin winced. He should have known that the man wouldn't use the_ blunt_ side. On the other hand, these guys all had machetes or some sort of clubs. A moment later Robin was very intimately introduced to one as he heard a swishing sound. He dodged, but not far enough. The strike, which would have landed on the side of his head if he hadn't heard it coming, hit his shoulder instead, breaking his collar-bone. Robin gritted his teeth but spun around, his left arm more or less useless. There were more people behind him, appearing out of the shadows like monsters in a nightmare. The steward had fled as soon as his captors had fallen, and Robin hoped he was still alright. He had no time to baby-sit anybody anyway.

Fighting in the dark was eerie, especially since the men were very quiet. They didn't yell out when they attacked, or when they fell, at the most low, pained groans or hisses were heard.

Robin and Slade were the same, especially Slade. Robin found it almost unnatural not to yell out something, but Slade was a silent killer. And efficient. The teen almost wanted to stop and just gape at times, but that would probably be the last thing he'd do.

He kept his arm close to his body, because even though it was unhurt, it had hurt like hell to move it. Thankfully his feet were almost better weapons than his hands, but fighting men with knives made things a bit… tricky.

He elbowed a man in the face and grabbed what looked like some kind of wooden paddle. A cricket-bat, he realized.

"Well… when in India…" he muttered and swung the thing at the closest attacker. Cricket turned out to be fun after all.

Only a moment later he was in trouble again. A fist was coming towards him and someone had grabbed his good arm. Robin clenched his teeth as he blocked the strike with his other one, but the expected pain never came. He rolled his shoulder. It was fine! He was used to healing much quicker than normal people, but this was _Slade_-quick, and he was never supposed to have_ that_ kind of ability… the man had even explained that to him when he had gotten his first dose; how it would be stupid to construct a drug that would make others equal to him.

Robin didn't have time to ponder over this now, however, and he didn't really want to put it to the test either. The fight was turning in their favor, and some of the men turned and ran back into the woods. A moment later Robin was standing in the middle of what now looked like a battlefield of dead and injured. Slade was in the process of lowing the number of injured and increasing the number of dead.

"Hey, stop that!" Robin yelled when he saw what the man was doing.

"They won't get any medical treatment. They can die now, quickly, or of infection and fever in a month," the man told him, and, with a last stroke with a machete, finished the job.

"Who… who _are _these people anyway?" Robin mumbled, feeling a bit sick.

"Who they are?" Slade shrugged and grabbed the teen's leash. "Mongrels. The Indian breed."

"Sir! Sir is the danger over?" they heard the driver call.

Slade called out an all clear, and half an hour later they could conclude that, apart from almost forty attackers, three people working at this small station had been killed as well as two of the train's crew members and one passenger. The driver reported the incident and then they were off again. Most of the passenger hadn't even woken up.

* * *

Robin didn't care if Slade thought he was wasting water; he took a short shower anyway. Slade washed up as well, which was very much needed. Axes were messy.

When they were in bed again Robin was sitting up, hugging his knees, too much adrenaline running in his veins for him to be able to sleep.

"I think I killed one or two…" he murmured.

"At least five," Slade shrugged.

"_What_? _That many_? Everything happened so fast, they were coming at me from all angles and…" Robin took a break to breathe.

"I would tell you not to feel bad about it, but I know you will insist…" the man muttered.

Robin snorted and rubbed his shoulder.

"My collarbone was broken but it healed in minutes… anything to say about _that_?"

"The dose this time was a bit stronger, yes."

"You expected this kind of trouble?"

"No, as I said, I thought you would be tripping over tigers."

"Hey!" Robin said suddenly and raised his head, which had been resting on his arms. "You lied to me!"

"Should I secure a tiger for you, or what do you mean?" the man muttered. Slade had stretched out on his bunk and seemed intent on sleeping.

"No, you told me, when I first woke up, that you were in perfect control, that there were no rebellions! And then I find out about the mongrels back home, and now these people!"

"They are not rebels, they are just runaways living in the jungle… It's harder to find people there than on the streets of a city."

"Still, you're not so much in control as you said…" Robin smirked smugly. At the same time, though, he felt strangely worried about what that might mean.

"We're on top of it. We have developed a contraceptive that only affects humans, both sexes, and can be spread through the air… there might be a few runaways out there, but there won't be many _more_ of them. Time will solve that little problem for us."

"Through the air? But… isn't that dangerous? What if someone would steal it or something?"

"There's an antidote. Why don't you try to get some more sleep?"

"I don't think I can…" Robin mumbled.

"Want to come here?" the man smirked and raised his sheet invitingly.

Robin was about to blow the man off with a few well chosen words, but then a surge of something, maybe a need for security, hit him and he slipped out of his own bed and into Slade's.

"You keep surprising me, Robin…" the man mumbled and moved a bit further back against the wall, pulling the teen with him.

"Shut up," Robin mumbled as he got comfortable, molding himself to the man's side.

"Ah…" Slade chuckled. "Now you're back…"

* * *

The next couple of days were a mix of amazing new sights and utter boredom. Apart from the train's regular stops, Slade kept up the 'a few meetings a day'-schedule, and sometimes one or a few people traveled with them to the next station.

Robin complained to Slade about there being no reason to build a fast train if they stopped every five minutes, but the man told him that the trip back would go must faster.

In the mean time the teen endured being petted, admired and, on a few occasions, handfed treats. Sometimes they left the train for strolls, and this was Robin's favorite parts. It was nice to be out in the sun, and although he missed walking through lively markets and experiencing what he thought of as the 'real' India, which no longer existed, it was better than being coped up on a train.

In Calcutta they stayed for a full day and night, switching trains. The new one was the same model, but shorter, without any goods-carts. Not much later they were rushing through what used to be Bangladesh and was on their way to China. Robin tried to remember what the current maps looked like but he had even trouble remembering what_ used_ to be here in terms of countries. They might be passing through Burma, or Myanmar as he vaguely recalled it might have been called, but there was just nothing there but wilderness and ruins. It was all terrible and beautiful at the same time.

The railway seemed to be skirting the edges of the Himalaya, and Robin didn't know for sure that they were in China until Slade announced that their next stop would be Kunming.

"We are going to stay here for a few days… I thought we needed a chance to rest up a bit."

"Oh, god _yes_…" Robin sighed. "Don't get me wrong, the trains are amazing, but I hate the very sight of them now."

"I'll take you on a few tourist-outings, then… this place was not hit too badly by the bombings and raids, but, unfortunately, the biological warfare reached them. The less populated an area was, the less it was affected, so in the mountains and further north it's not so bad."

"That means more enslaved people, though, doesn't it?" Robin said flatly.

"Yes, but China… let' just say that they were used to a rather… _firm_ rule even _before _I was in charge. A government meddling in every part of their lives doesn't make them so much as blink, but the reduced population has actually been good for them-"

"Slade!"

"No, I mean it. China might not have been as poor and overpopulated as some of their neighbors, but not having to climb over others for a meal or a job seems to have strengthened the sense of a human's worth in some way."

"Very philosophical… the worth of a slave, then?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to say everyone turned into compassionate saints…" the man chuckled.

Robin snorted and shook his head. He was about to say something when he gasped and stared out the window. They had just entered the city, and it _was _a city, the largest, most complete one he had seen in this time. The remains of New York was like a village in comparison. Robin blinked rapidly, his eyes suddenly a bit wet. If only this could have been Jump or Gotham… He knew his two home cities had been hit hard, Jump more or less obliterated and abandoned, but he hadn't seen so much as a satellite picture of them. He didn't feel that he was ready for it, and he didn't know if he ever would be.

When they stepped off the train, Ben and several carriers were already busy organizing their bags. There were more of them than Robin had known, but he only had his own shoulder bag to worry about after all. Fresh clothes and everything else he needed just appeared, courtesy of Ben or some other servant.

_I'm getting so spoiled…_ he thought dryly to himself. _Soon I won't be able to tie my own shoes…_

After a long car-ride they pulled up in front of a couple of large gates. As those opened, the car continued into a walled-in courtyard, with a fountain in the middle of it. The style of the whole thing was a mix of Chinese, Indian, and, for some reason, Robin thought he could detect some Spanish and maybe northern European as well. All in all, the house gave the impression that it could exist almost anywhere in the world.

It was not as warm here as it had been in India. Maybe it was just the weather changing, but Robin found the air when he stepped out of that car just a tad chilly like it was going to rain.

"This doesn't look like a hotel, Master," he said quietly.

"It's not, we've been invited to stay with-"

"Welcome! Welcome Sir!"

Robin's eyes widened as he recognized the voice and turned around.

"Thank you, Singh," Slade greeted the bearded man, who still seemed to be in love with heavy, embroidered fabrics. "It's been quite a journey."

"I got the news about the attack on the train," the man said and hurried forwards as fast as his bulk could carry him. "Were you very scared, little dear?" he asked Robin, who ducked his head, pretending to be shy. "Oh, don't you worry, you are safe here, and you will have so much fun. Come in, come in… Everyone! Come and meet our guests!"

As soon as Slade and Robin stepped into the house, the entrance hall filled with people, most of them scantily clad and obviously pets. There were servants too, wearing Asian-inspired uniforms with high collars. There was a chorus of soft voices greeting them, but to Robin it was all a blur. His heart skipped a beat, however, as he spotted Darin. The young man's silky hair was longer now, reaching below the middle of his back, and his golden-brown eyes glittered in recognition, his smile turning a bit wider and warmer as he gave Robin a little nod.

The teen felt himself blush. Darin was the only one he had ever really kissed, apart from Slade, and… well… Robin had to admit that the young man made him a bit… tingly.

"You must be tired! Dinner first, then, and then I'll let you retire for the evening. Business can wait, don't you agree?" Singh said. Robin wanted to hug him… not that he would be able to reach around him, but still.

They were taken to a lovely suit, complete with a pet-bed of course, to freshen up. Ben already had a set of clothes ready for them and the quick shower was refreshing.

"You could have told me we were coming here…" Robin complained as he pulled his tunic over his head. It was in a soft yellow-cold color and the teen thought he looked like a decorative pillow. On the other hand, in a way that was what he was supposed to be.

"I didn't know if he would be in town or not, he just returned home himself a yesterday." Slade answered.

"Do we have to stay here, though? What the hell am I gonna do about all those pets? And him? What if he wants to… you know..?"

"We are the guest here, and it would be very impolite to leave," the man sighed as he buttoned the shirt. "And as far as the pets go, I'd appreciate it if you do as little as possible. Without insulting the host of course."

"Insult? Impolite? Slade, you _rule _the _world_! You can just tell him that we're leaving and if he doesn't like he you can just, you now, say 'like it or die' or something…"

"'Like it or die'? Interesting philosophy. Yes, Robin, thank you for the ego-boost, but you can't steer only by the whip and reins… you have to follow the social laws as well. I do it all the time in New York, but, as you are used to the Western social game, so to speak, you don't realize it when I do. Here the rules are a little bit different, and I have to admit I don't know much about it myself. I never had a pet before, so I haven't paid much attention to the social protocol involving them… but you are a smart boy, Robin. You'll pick it up."

"Yeah, I'm just worried I'll have to pick something _else_ up…" the teen muttered.

* * *

The dining hall was amazing and Robin was rather sure that some of the glitter actually _was _real gold this time. There was a small table for Slade and Mr. Singh and a large, lower, table for the pets. Robin felt a bit panicky about being separated from the man, if only by a few yards, but he tried not to let any of that show as Slade led him into the room. They had been escorted here by a servant, who bowed and left them as Singh came to greet them.

"Sir, you have already met Darin, but let me present my little Rahn and this is my Helena."

Robin vaguely remembered Rahn's name, something about him being rather… frivolous, and as he met the young man's eyes he didn't doubt it for a second. The boy had to be over seventeen, the lowest permitted age for pets, and he was probably even over nineteen, but he didn't look it He was short, slim, and had a very boyish face. He was very pretty, much too pretty for Robin to find him attractive; he looked more than a doll than anything else, with his dark brown curly hair and large, deep brown eyes combined with flawless olive skin.

Helena, on the other hand was blond and pale, very pretty and at least five months pregnant.

"Yes, I remember you talking about applying for permit. Congratulations," Slade told him and shook the man's hand.

"Thank you, thank you. Yes, I thought it was time for an heir. I'll marry her, of course, if the baby is healthy. Couldn't have a pet raising my child, after all."

"Of course," Slade nodded.

"Now, let's eat. Oh! But first! I heard such a tantalizing rumor… I can't believe it's true… Did your pet really fight the barbarians with you?"

Robin felt all eyes on him all of a sudden, and lowered his head a bit. He and Slade hadn't discussed it, and the teen had not been sure about how much the train staff had actually seen in the dark. This might mean trouble, though. His Master only chuckled, however, and patted his head.

"Oh, yes. As you know Robin here is at high risk at all times. Jealousy, kidnapping… I've made sure he can defend himself."

"But what if the poor little thing had been hurt!" Singh exclaimed, looking like Robin was a Chihuahua thrown into a Pit bull fight.

"Well, then he clearly hadn't paid attention in his classes, and that's not my fault, is it?" Slade shrugged. "I had faith in him, though, and, small as he is, he's very protective of me too… it's almost embarrassing at times…"

"Aw, but it's is sweet. You're such a good little pet, aren't you? Yes you are!" the man cooed and patted Robin's cheek.

"Thank you, Sir," Robin said carefully in a low voice, not sure if he was allowed to speak, but it seemed more polite to risk it.

Apparently it was the right thing to do, because the Indian man beamed and then invited them all to sit.

While Slade and Singh had proper chairs, the pets got some sort of low sofa with lots of pillows. Robin had to stifle a snort. What _was_ it with pets and pillows? It was like the owners were saying that 'yes, I can use you sexually in any way I want, but here's a pillow so now we're even'.

Robin thought he heard his name being mentioned, and looked up. He could see Slade looking at him and nodding at Singh, who called a servant over, but over the noise of the surrounding pets he couldn't make out what was being said. The teen hoped nothing degrading had just been decided.

The food was great but the dinner itself surreal. The pets were talking, a lot, but also paid a great deal of attention to their Master, waving, winking, smiling, everything to get his attention and maybe even a little wave back. Robin felt much too foolish to do anything like that himself, especially licking sauce off pieces of vegetables like Rahn was doing.

"Robin, is it true the Ruler let's you sleep in his bed?" Helena asked him, and the others suddenly quieted down to listen. Robin worried for a moment, until he remembered that he had told Darin that.

"Yes, it's true. Usually anyway… unless he's angry with me," Robin added to make sure that the others realized that he was still a pet.

"Is he very strict?" someone Robin didn't know the name of, asked.

The hero, not sure what to say, just shrugged and nodded. He didn't want to give away too much or lie too much either, because the others might see through it and gossip about it to their Master.

"He keeps me mostly to himself," Robin decided to say after some prompting, hoping it would remain like that. "I train a lot, though, to keep in shape."

The others nodded, all of them clearly familiar with the concept of not letting the 'good life' show.

The dessert arrived, fresh fruit and bowls of cream and melted chocolate to dip them in. Robin only now noticed that Slade and Singh had a different menu. The pets had mainly had food that could be eaten with their fingers, but now when he thought about it, he had heard the scrape of cutlery against china from the other table whenever there was a lull in the conversation.

"Everybody; the Ruler has agreed to a bit of after dinner entertainment. Not for too long, though, our guest needs to rest, but Robin will demonstrate his fighting-skills. I hope some of my little dears want to play?"

A few hands quickly shot up in the air. Robin swallowed. What was this? At that moment Slade gestured for him to come over and he hurried to do so, hoping for some sort of explanation.

"Now Mr. Singh explained to me that some of his pets has been trained in martial arts as well, although mostly for exercise. He would like to see what you can do, pet, and I agreed."

"Yes, Master, but… my outfit?" Robin did _not _want to fight anyone wearing only a tunic.

"It has been arranged." Singh said. "Stefan!"

In a matter of moments Robin found himself shooed into another room with an armful of clothes. It was a simple white keikogi with a white belt, and he was glad that it had been made for someone of his size, so he didn't have to turn up the trouser legs or sleeves. He changed quickly and came back into the room still feeling bewildered. He didn't want to beat up pets, after all… that would be like kicking kittens. He didn't give much credit to the mentioned training; it was one thing to do the moves and another one to_ use_ them.

"Ah, here he is. It seems a member of my security team wanted a challenge as well, you don't mind do you?" Singh asked him.

"Of course not, Sir," Robin answered.

"Good… good… now, let's see… I don't want to tire you out, of course, so… Mikhail, Chanda, you and Longwei can challenge Robin." A murmur of disappointment went through the group from those who hadn't been picked, and Singh raised his hands "Now, now, no pouting in front of our guests. They will stay a few days and maybe the Ruler will let his pet train with you tomorrow."

Mikhail was one of the oldest-looking pets, in his late twenties, and with the physique which only came with maturity. He was tall, wiry, and had a pair of piercing pale blue eyes framed by natural straw-blond hair. He looked to be eastern European, perhaps, his features a bit too sharp to be anything else.

Chanda was a young Indian woman as far as Robin could tell, with beautiful doe-like eyes, a long braid down her back and a wide, slightly proud, smile.

Longwei, the security man, was Chinese and the only one that looked to be any real threat. He moved like someone who knew how to fight. His hair was short and he was clad in a simple uniform, only slightly different from the house-servants. He wasn't much taller than Robin but bulkier, and by the expression on his face he wasn't impressed with the hero.

"One on one perhaps?" Singh said. As Slade nodded the other man gestured to a big carpet that had been laid out while Robin was changing. "Over there, then, pets. Chandra first, perhaps?"

The young woman was feisty, Robin gave her that. She could probably be a very good fighter with some real practice, but it was clear that she wasn't used to her opponents hitting back. Robin was as gentle as he could, but she still hit the mat rather hard after only a few minutes.

"That's enough, I think, Chandra!" her Master called. "Let's not exhaust our guest."

"But Master-!"

"No, girl!"

"You have some nice moves…" Robin said quietly as Chandra hung her head and left the mat. That made a little bit of a smile come back to her face.

Mikhail was next and he had clearly fought, but he relied too much on the fact that he was taller and seemed to think that that would win him the match. It didn't. Again Robin tried not to hurt anybody, but a quick kick to the solar plexus made the other's knees hit the ground as he fought for breath.

Longwei entered the mat like he owned it and from his first couple of moves Robin recognized a very good wushu student and fell into the same form of fighting to accommodate him. Now Robin had to work for it, but he was still holding back, especially his kicks. After almost five minutes, Slade raise his hand.

"If I may interrupt?"

The two fighters stepped back, and Robin saw that Singh looked a bit smug.

"You don't want your pet hurt, I understand. We'll call it off…"

"No, I just want some time with him tonight and it's getting late. Robin... finish it."

"Yes, Master."

A few heartbeats later Longwei was on his back.

* * *

"I guess fighting is better than some other forms of 'entertainment' but still…" Robin muttered as he got ready for bed. He was wearing a pair of very low riding pajama-pants in a dark-blue silky material. The teen hadn't known he owned a pair like these, but, judging by the way Slade was looking at him, the risk of them being ripped off soon was rather big.

Slade himself was already on the bed, in underwear, not girly silky pajamas, and was about to say something, probably along the lines of 'get you ass over here', when there was a knock on the door.

"Err… should I get that?" Robin asked.

"Don't wait for me to say 'please'," Slade smirked.

Robin snorted and walked over to the huge ornate wooden door, wondering what the hell people wanted now.

"Good evening Robin, may I see your Master?"

The hero blinked stupidly at Darin for a second and then, showed him in.

"Yes, of course. Master? Darin asks to see you…"

"Very well, come in boy…" Slade said and stood up. Robin had a feeling that maybe he should have let the other pet wait outside while asking the man, but what's done was done.

Darin swept up to Slade. He was clad in something that looked like a flowing robe of many pieces of fabric and he looked stunning. He sank down gracefully at the man's feet and bowed his head. Robin felt almost envious of the smooth movement, he knew that he himself could pull off 'graceful' in a fight, but in these types of settings he could merely mimic it, and never as elegantly as the long-haired pet in front of him.

"Lord Slade, My Master asks that you accept me as your welcome gift for tonight and whenever you feel inclined during your stay. It would be a great honor to this house… and to me as well."

The last part was obviously not part of the speech, but sounded sincere.

Slade glanced up at Robin, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and gave a tiny shrug.

"I am grateful to your Master. Rise, boy."

"Thank you my Lord," the young man said, his eyes shining as he stood up. "My Master asked that I would spoil you,_ both_ of you," he said and looked over at Robin with a flirty grin.

The teen hero quickly tried to wipe the shock from his face and replace it with a smile of his own.

"That's very good of him, Darin," Slade said and only Robin heard the edge that meant 'I want to strangle him for this'. "However, can I count on your discretion?"

Darin grabbed the man's hand and put it to his chest.

"Of course! I will not say a word to anyone, even my Master, of what happened here tonight!"

Robin wanted to roll his eyes at the theatrics, but it_ still_ seemed so sincere. The teen suspected that Darin was raised like this, _trained_ like this, and although it was sad, it didn't mean it was fake.

"Good. Because if you do say something about this particular matter, I will know. And this house, and everyone belonging to it, including your Master, will be obliterated."

"I understand my Lord. It's… It's a size-thing, is it not?"

Robin slapped a hand over his mouth and even Slade's lips quirked a little.

"No… No, Darin, it's not a size thing… although I know some men _are _very sensitive about that matter. In fact you are free to tell your Master all about sizes and what went on here tonight, I think he'd like that, but not this one thing: in private I am not very strict with Robin. I expect him to _behave_-" this was said with a glance in the hero's direction," but I have also trained him to speak his mind and to have a will of his own. Within reason."

Robin tried not to snort. If Slade had 'trained' him speak his mind, the man had done a damn good job…

"My Lord?" Darin seemed confused at this, and Slade continued.

"I don't want it to be said that I spoil my pet, is that clear? Keep that part to yourself and you are welcome to stay."

"Of course I will! I think it's romantic!" Darin smiled.

_Oh, no, another Rebecca…_ Robin thought to himself.

"Very well. Robin, it seems like we'll have a guest tonight…" Slade said, his voice carefully blank and even the teen couldn't be sure what the man really thought about it all. He did understand that it was nonnegotiable, however. Damn politeness.

"Yes, Master," he answered and came up to them

"Robin and I will take great care of you, my Lord," the twenty-something Darin grinned, clearly looking forward to the night most in the room. "My Lord? May… may I call you Master? Just this night?"

"Of course," Slade said generously, and, judging by Darin's face the man had just given him a lifetime worth of Slade-mas presents at once. That look was surpassed, however, as the young man sank down on his knees again and slid his hands up the man's thighs, only to stop as they rested over the man's groin. Robin couldn't help but snicker at the expression.

"I apologize, Master. Size is… _clearly_ not an issue…"

"No, it's not…" Robin grinned. He was feeling a bit, or rather a _lot_, shy and insecure, but Slade's cock was an area he was very familiar with, after all.

"Let's retire to the bed, shall we?" Slade suggested.

"Yes Master," two voices chorused, and Robin saw the gleam in the man's eye. He _liked_ that. _Pervert._

"Robin, let me help you," Darin suggested humbly, and, still on his knees, turned to the teen and somehow _caressed_ his pajama pants off. Robin blushed, and the young man stood up, smiling at him.

"Size is not an issue with you either, I see…" he said softly, making Robin blush even more.

Darin pulled at a piece of fabric at his shoulder and instantly his robe fell away in a hiss of falling silk, leaving him naked as well.

Robin felt his fingers twitch with an urge to touch that bronzed skin, but he held back out of embarrassment and a strange sense of guilt.

"Oh, Robin, I'm sorry… you are not used to sharing," Darin said and stepped closer. "Please don't be angry at me or Master Singh?"

"I… I'm not, I'm just a little…unsure of what to do…" Robin admitted quietly.

"All we have to do is pleasure Master Slade," Darin said, "And that's no chore, is it?" he added with a grin. "But I have to admit… I'd like to kiss you again…"

At once they were chest to chest and Darin's arms encircled Robin's naked body lovingly. The teen met his eyes for a second and then closed them as the other pet leaned down.

The kiss was just as soft and playful as last time, but it lasted much longer while Darin explored his body with his hands. Robin felt his own member lengthen and fill just as the other pet's, and dared to touch him back, running his hands through the long, silky hair, which made the other moan. As they parted Darin's eyes were filled with something that could almost be more than lust. Maybe not love, perhaps, but infatuation. Robin was afraid that he looked the same way.

"Let's not abandon our Master any longer…" Darin then said, but it seemed that he wouldn't have minded just being with Robin for a bit more. His expression changed, though, as his eyes traveled to where Slade was stretched out on the bed. The underwear had come off and the man was languidly stroking himself. Robin couldn't help but swallow from the sight and he heard a similar small gulp from the other pet.

Darin started crawling onto the bed and Robin followed him. While the longhaired young man stopped by the man's crotch, the hero continued upward and started to kiss his lips. Just before that, their eyes locked. Robin gave the man a worried look, and Slade answered with a short nod. Everything was all right. Slade wouldn't kill the other pet for the kiss, Darin was, after all, only doing what he had been ordered to do.

The kiss with the man was intense for a moment, but then Robin felt Slade's attention drift. Breaking the kiss and looking down answered why he was feeling distracted; Darin was busy sucking and licking his cock.

"_That's_ enthusiasm… you could learn something there…" Slade smirked.

"Hey!" Robin growled. He might not_ like_ giving head but that didn't mean he wanted to be _outdone_ at it.

"Master Slade is so big, I can't swallow him…" Darin said, sounding a bit frustrated.

"I can," Robin grinned and moved down. "I'll show you,"

Deep-throating Slade was one of the reasons Robin didn't like oral; the man usually got carried away and started fucking his throat which both hurt and was scary, as he felt he would choke. Now, however, he had an opportunity to show off to a professional pet and- Robin suddenly sat up a bit, before even having licked the tip yet. What the hell was he _thinking_?

"Go on, pet…" he heard Slade, who apparently had seen the look on his face, chuckle.

Robin groaned on the inside, he didn't have much choice, did he?

He bent over, relaxed his throat and swallowed the whole, slick thing, down in one go.

"Wow… that's… wow…" Robin heard Darin mumble as he bobbed his head up and down on the man's shaft.

When he came up for air, Darin's lips met his.

"You're so good… and you look so hot doing that…" the older pet whispered.

"Your turn," Robin grinned, feeling strangely proud at the praise. Slade's usual 'good boy', really didn't cut it.

Darin went in for another try. It was clear that he was very good at this, but also that he hadn't had someone quite as thick and long as Slade before.

"Just relax… take a deep breath and then swallow," Robin said and placed a hand on the back of the young man's neck. The moment he did that his cock twitched so hard the teen gasped. He glanced up at Slade, who had seen it all and grinned back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"It's quite a kick, isn't it?"

Robin snorted and went back to massaging Darin's neck, slowly, but gently, pushing him down until the pet's nose was buried in Slade's pubic hair.

"That's great! You did it!" Robin heard himself say, and Darin pulled back with a wide grin on his face.

"I did! Thank you!" The pet kissed him again, a bit more intensely this time. He then abandoned Robin, however, to get back to honing his new skill. For a moment the teen felt a bit lost and left out, but then a hand grabbed his arm and Slade pulled him up to kiss him again. Robin ended up sprawled on top of him, one leg on either side, as they continued to kiss. Slade's hands were squeezing his buttocks, parting them, and suddenly Robin felt something hot and wet between his cheeks. He cried out into the man's mouth, both of surprise and excitement.

"Oh… god… what…?" Robin looked back over his shoulder to see that Darin had abandoned Slade's cock only to bury his face between Robin's legs instead. When Robin understood what it was he was feeling pushing inside him, he cried out again, wetting Slade's stomach and chest with his cum.

"I'm afraid my pet is not used to that kind of attention…" Slade chuckled as Robin flopped down on top of him.

"Fucking… _brilliant_!" the teen panted.

"Let me clean you up," Darin suggested and gently rolled Robin over on his back before licking both Robin's and Slade's skin free of cum. Robin watched the young man crawl up and shyly kiss Slade once on his jaw before, carefully as if afraid of being pushed away, brushing his lips over the man's own. The sight made Robin feel weird. It was hot, really hot, to sit back and watch something that he had only experienced firsthand before. It actually reminded him a bit of that time with the mirrors, but, at the same time, he also felt a tiny bit… annoyed. He didn't like the feeling of being replaced, even though he knew that that wasn't what was going on. His cock just generally liked _everything_, however, and was already growing hard again.

"I think it's time that I got to fuck one of you. Who's first?" Slade asked, and Robin could see that the man was very needy indeed.

"Robin, of course," Darin said and rolled slightly away. "Let me prepare you. Where is your oil?"

"I'll get it," Robin said and crawled to the edge of the bed, reaching for his bag.

"Yes, you are absolutely right," he heard Slade say behind him.

"Huh? What?.. Master?" he asked, adding the title as an afterthought.

"Darin just commented on the fact that you have an absolutely lovely ass," the man smirked.

The pet looked a bit embarrassed, but shrugged with a small grin.

Robin snorted good-humouredly and tossed the bottle of lubricant to the long-haired young man.

"Well, Master likes to plow it a lot so I guess it must be true…" he grinned.

"I think you should thank Darin for the complement a bit better," Slade said. "On your hands and knees, Robin."

The teen obeyed and soon he had the other pet's eager cock in front of his face. He reached up and touched it like he wasn't sure if it would bite.

It was, at the same time, very much like Slade's and very different. It was darker, of course, slimmer and shorter. The foreskin had retreated, displaying the glistening, peach-pink head. Robin ran his fingers up and down the shaft a few times and then carefully licked the head. He was almost startled by the moan, Slade was never that vocal, but it spurred him on, and soon he was probably giving his best head ever, as the recipient gasped and cried out his pleasure.

Slade was clever enough to wait until Robin took a little breather to push into him, so he wouldn't accidently bite down, and soon they had settled into a rhythm which Robin felt through his whole body. Darin didn't force himself on him, he actually held back, letting the teen set his own pace, but Slade had never heard of that particular concept.

Robin wondered if mixed emotions came with having a threesome, because he was both in heaven and hell. Heaven because the quick snaps of Slade's hips clipped his prostate in an absolutely wonderful way, and in hell because he just couldn't _come._ Usually when the man was fucking him he could just focus on the feeling, and letting that drag him along… and he was also free to touch himself, if Slade allowed it. Now, however, he had someone else to focus on, someone he didn't want to hurt, and with one hand around the base of Darin's cock, to brace himself, and one hand on the bed for support, he couldn't reach his own length either. It was good, it was _very_ good, but he just couldn't get to 'that place'.

Darin, who had loudly equaled him to a god for some time now, had no trouble reaching 'that place' and, a moment later, neither had Slade. Robin collapsed on the bed but rolled over so he wouldn't crush himself against the mattress. Darin was there in an instant, molding himself to the teen and thanking him with kisses. Robin was still on the edge and desperate.

"I need you…" he mumbled, wondering how the young man's slender cock would feel inside him.

"Of course…" Darin replied and pulled back a little. Robin closed his eyes, feeling a kiss on his chest. Darin might suck him off instead, which wasn't too bad, he guessed. Actually, it would be great-

His thoughts fled and he gasped as his cock was grasped in a slick hand, which slid up and down it a few time s only to disappear again.

"Tease…" Robin muttered, only to hear a soft chuckle. The he felt a pressure against the tip of his cock, while its base was being held firmly. Darin's pursed lips pushing against it, Robin thought, but not opening. It almost started to get uncomfortable, so Robin looked up, only to have his heart stop for a second. Darin wasn't bent over him, he was_ straddled_ over him. Two similar cries were heard as the older pet pushed himself down, his body swallowing Robin's shaft greedily.

In that instant Robin forgave Slade everything. Well… everything regarding the lengths the man had gone to just to get into his pants, anyway… because a feeling like _this_… Robin wasn't sure he would _kill_ for it, but it was damn close. The heat was amazing, the feeling of Darin's muscles quivering around him was out of this world and the tightness... Robin couldn't hold himself back any longer, he grabbed the other pet's hips and slammed himself up into that tight, strange, heaven. Darin met his every movement, creating an incredibly fast pace, and Robin, who had been teetering on the edge for so long, wishing for release, now found himself fighting against it, as he so desperately wanted this feeling to last. It was futile however; not even a cock-ring would have helped him now, and a few moments later Robin arched as he came deeply within the other male.

The hero was on the verge of passing out as he felt the other lift himself off of him, and a soft voice speaking.

"I'm ready for you now, Master,"

The voice trembled slightly and Robin lazily opened his eyes to see a bit of worry in the golden brown ones above him. Darin had positioned himself on all fours, presenting his ass to Slade behind him. Robin smiled lazily and reached up to stroke the other's cheek.

"Don't worry… Slade is… amazing…" he mumbled. "You'll love his cock… You'll love being filled up like that."

The other pet, his hair falling down and stroking Robin's bare skin like feathers, smiled a bit.

"Of course I'll love it… he's our Master…" he whispered.

He still seemed worried, though, and crawling down, Robin got under his belly and sucked the tip of his cock into his mouth just as Slade started to press in.

Darin yelped slightly from discomfort, but Robin sucked him all down to take his mind of the pain, and it worked. The teen could sense when his Master breeched the other, and pulled back a little, knowing that this feeling, immediately after the head pushed in, was the best of them all. After some deep gasps, so did Darin.

The young man was very vocal again. Robin knew, although he didn't like to admit it, that he was as well, when being fucked, but the silky-haired pet somewhat surpassed him. Again, the root to this behavior might very well lie in his training, but there was no doubt that he was enjoying himself.

Robin felt the result of this filling his mouth a few minutes later. This time he had more presence of mind and was able to taste it, finding it surprisingly sweet. He wondered if it was all that fruit…

The hero pulled away before Darin's body could crush his head as the young man slumped down on the mattress.

"I told you you'd like it…" the teen grinned as he stretched out on the bed.

"I did… Let's take a shower!"

"What… _now_?" Robin had been on the verge of closing his eyes, waiting for Slade to join them as well.

"Yes, the night has only begun, yes?" the other pet said.

"It… has?"

Apparently it had. Darin more or less dragged both Robin and Slade in to the large bathroom and they all washed each other very intimately. When Robin felt a soapy finger slid up his ass he stuck his behind out and leaned against the wall.

"Please?" he begged, and Darin didn't mind as he got in position behind him.

The feeling of a stranger's cock inside him was alien. Not as pleasingly filling as Slade's but it still touched all the right places. After a few slow strokes though, the rhythm got harsher and Robin looked over his shoulder in surprise. It wasn't Darin's fault, however, as Slade was now fucking him from behind, setting the pace. They lasted longer this time and Robin's legs were shaking as he came.

He didn't know how he made it back to the bed, but he somehow did, ending up on one side of Slade with Darin on the other. A long strand of the pet's hair was laying across the man's chest and Robin picked it up and lazily started teasing one of Slade's nipples with it. Darin discovered what he was doing and giggled before beginning to lick the other one. Robin raised his head and kissed Slade deeply until he found himself cleverly stolen away by Darin, the pet's soft lips making Robin begin to harden once more, though he a moment ago had thought it impossible.

Slade growled a bit and grabbed the hair on the back of his head, pulling him away from the tender kiss to a more much more demanding one. When he was let go Darin had moved on and was kissing and caressing Slade's abs, obviously mesmerized by the man's physique. Robin joined him and slowly showed Darin all the little places that could make the man hum. They were in no hurry, they were comfortable, and when Robin felt himself fully ready again, he leaned over the man and pulled the other pet closer.

"I want to fuck you. Hard. On your back."

"Mmm… yes, please…" Darin half purred, half chuckled and rolled over.

So obedient, so willing… Robin felt his balls tighten as the young man spread his legs and lifted them up. He almost forgot the lube and would probably have done so unless Slade had pushed the bottle into his hand. After slicking himself up he pressed forward. He knew the other would need no preparation, after all. He grunted as he slid inside that tight heat once more, and in this position… in this position he could really _fuck_.

"You like it, don't you? The little slut eager and begging beneath you, asking for everything you can give him…" Slade muttered in his ear as he had moved behind him, kissing his neck. Robin expected the man to do what he had done to Darin in the shower, but Slade held back, content with simply rubbing his cock between Robin's cheeks as the teen set a hard pace, thrusting into the moaning pet. Robin enjoyed every second of it, to the point where he almost didn't care if Darin did. He told himself that he would hear if the other sounded like he was in any discomfort, though. Darin didn't. Suddenly Robin had a very naughty urge, and he reached around to literally make Slade move by pulling his cock.

"Cum on him… cum on him while I fuck him…" Robin gasped and slammed into the young man even harder. Slade chuckled and started stroking himself faster and, as the first rounds of seed shot out, painting Darin's face and chest with white streaks, Robin felt the muscles around him constrict, milking him, as Darin's seed joined Slade's on his dark skin.

That was more than Robin could handle and he came with a desperate cry as he so much wanted to just keep going for the rest of his life.

* * *

Two hours later, Slade caught Robin's and Darin's hands, as they were edging towards his groin for the umpteenth time.

"Boys, I'm not a man who begs for mercy, so I'll just tell you to stop," he murmured. He heard a couple of soft giggles and some kissing before the teen and the young man settled down on each side of him. It had been a strange night, and exhausting too, but surprisingly rewarding. Normally he would not even _consider_ sharing Robin, with _anybody_, but Darin was a gift he couldn't easily refuse. He was also nonthreatening; a pet, and a very submissive one at that. He was not much more than a sex-toy, a doll… He had felt a pang of something close to jealousy a few times but he had to admit that it had been very arousing to see Robin and the pet together. He had seen a side of his young companion that he hadn't expected, something that he might find some use for further along the line. If Robin liked to dominate as much as Slade himself, he could, perhaps, get the boy a pet of his own in a few years or so… It was clear that Robin had found the submissiveness arousing, and that might mean that he'd play better at being submissive himself, Slade suspected.

* * *

Darin left them early the next morning, after kissing them both softly. Neither Slade nor Robin even got out of bed, the man telling the pet to let his Master know that they would be sleeping in until lunch and to send breakfast to their room. Darin grinned and nodded, knowing that that was actually a kind of praise for him.

As soon as the heavy door closed, Robin drew a big breath as he lay curled up against the man.

"That was… wow…"

"It was rather… rewarding, wasn't it?"

"Can we keep him?"

"No."

"What if he would, hypothetically speaking, follow us home?" Robin asked innocently.

"Then I would, hypothetically speaking, send him back and neuter the one responsible."

"Ouch."

"You're _my_ pet, I want you focused on _me_, not whether or not you'll get to fuck his tight ass again."

"He _was_ tight, wasn't he?" Robin said, like he had anything to compare with.

"You're tighter."

"I am? Really? Thanks!" the teen grinned. "I like your cock better too."

"Why, thank you. You're making me teary-eyed…" the man said dryly, but Robin heard the chuckle in his voice.

"Well, let me top you and I _could_…" he smirked.

"No."

"You like that word, don't you?"

"Yes."

Robin snorted and rested his head on the man's chest for a while, thinking the previous night through.

"Hey!" he said sitting up. "I'm not a virgin anymore!"

"A bit late for that realization, isn't it? Almost two years…"

"No, I mean… you know… I'm not a _virgin_-virgin!"

"Yes, yes, yes… you know what that means, though, don't you?" Slade asked.

"No… what?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"We have to find you something much sluttier to wear."

"Oh, great, it's public nudity time then…" Robin muttered and sighed. "I still say we should take him home."

"Stop thinking about his ass."

"I'm not!" Robin snorted. "I'm thinking about his mouth."

"Did you learn anything?"

"Oh, yeah…"

"Anything you can use on _me_, I mean?"

"Yes, but you won't let me…" Robin grinned.

"Say 'yes Master I learned a lot about pleasuring you with my mouth'," Slade ordered.

"Why?"

"Because I might let your tutor visit again tonight."

"Oh, Master, I learned a _lot_ about pleasuring you with my mouth!" Robin nodded eagerly.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Yes, why would I let you keep having lessons if you don't improve?"

Robin sighed. He couldn't very well question that logic, now could he?

"Sure, but you have to carry me to the shower first. I can't remember_ where_ that thing was last before I fell asleep, and I'm not putting it in my mouth until it's clean."

* * *

The rest of the stay was very pleasurable. Whenever Slade and Singh had a meeting, which was very often, Darin and Robin were wrapped around each other. The teen even forgot the Indian Master was in room, to the bearded man's delight.

When it was time to leave, Darin dared to give Slade a last kiss on the lips and then embraced Robin hard. Both had tears in their eyes as they kissed one last time.

In the car on their way to the train Robin was quiet and kept looking out the window.

"Missing his ass already?" Slade chuckled.

"I miss… _him_," Robin said quietly. "I know that it might all have been an act, I mean, he couldn't very well say _no_ or anything… but I liked him… and now I'll never see him again."

"Oh, you will," Slade said.

"I will?" Robin blinked.

"Yes, Singh is bound to bring him whenever he visits from now on, and that's usually a few times a year…"

"Really?"

"Yes. But don't get too excited, or I'll have to kill the little slut..." Slade growled, only half joking.

"Oh, I don't even remember his _name_…" Robin claimed, grinning madly. "Thank you for not forbidding Singh to bring him…"

"Quite the opposite. I told him that if he ever tired of him he should send him my way."

"Really?" the teen repeated.

"I do _not_ intend to keep him for you, Robin, or me either, but he'd be a very good tutor, and Irena might be interested. Besides, that probably won't happen until he reaches his late twenties or even early thirties. Of course, Singh's future wife might have something to say about it…"

"Oh, maybe she'll kick him out the moment they marry!" Robin said hopefully.

"I don't think Singh will let himself be told what to do_ quite_ that much…" Slade chuckled.

"You know what? I like this trip… Darin is the best souvenir ever… apart from the not-taking-home-part…" the teen mused.

Slade chuckled.

"Robin, Robin, Robin… I thought you said you'd forgotten his name?"

"Oops."

"Yes, _oops_. I think I'll spend the night reminding you whose cock you prefer."

"Yes, please, Master…" Robin smiled. "Better make sure I don't forget _that_… My memory _has _been rather slippery lately… as slippery as Darin's a-"

_The End_

* * *

A/N: We'll cut to black there, yes? I think you can decide for yourself what happens next… ;) And yes, yes, yes, all of this was just so Robin could lose his 'other' virginity. To Darin. As some people have insisted should happen… and some people have demanded NOT should happen… so a few of you might hate me now. Well…

Oh, and I will NEVER name an OC after a person I know again! Well, I don't KNOW Darin, but he's a Swedish singer, as I've mentioned before, and his picture kept popping up as I write this, which felt very wrong and distracting… -_-

If you DON'T hate me, actually if you rather_ like_ me, let me know if you wanna be my face-book friend. You can also become a member of my facebook group "the ducklings" It's now open and has –checks- 31 members! Wooot!

What's next?

Well, I have one more 2061 idea I have to write, but that won't come out until a little later, like a month from now. Up until then I will continue to write X-mas drabbles AND if you have a B-day coming up before December, let me know! I'm also on facebook, and will try to draw/paint a bit more as well…


	24. Growing Fears

**A/N: **OMG what the hell? And 2061 update? Yes, when inspiration strikes… ;) I know that this is random, but I don't think you will have to reread anything to read this, it's pretty freestanding and takes place in chronological order, that is, after they return home from their trip to Asia…

* * *

**Growing Fears**

Robin was coming out from the bathroom in Slade's apartment, or _their_ apartment, his mind hadn't been made up about that quite yet, to see his 'owner' and Duncan standing talking with their heads together, looking at some papers. The whole position almost screamed 'we have a secret!' so, naturally, Robin moved closer. He was spotted, however, and the pair got quiet.

"What, is my birthday coming up or something?" the teen grinned.

"We'll finish this later," Slade told his chemist and Duncan nodded.

"We should start the initial treatment at once, though…" he said.

"Of course," the tyrant nodded and the younger man smiled and left.

Robin's curiosity was more than peaked by now and, as there was one paper lying abandoned on a nearby table, he glanced at it. It seemed to be full of medical and chemical terms that hurt his eyes to even read, even though he had taken classes in chemistry lately. And what the hell was Gonadotropin?

"Curiosity killed the bird," Slade told him and snatched the paper away before Robin had any chance of making sense of it.

"I thought stones did," Robin shrugged. "So what are you up to?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about at this stage."

Robin did _not _like that… 'at this stage' probably meant he should be_ very_ concerned indeed. Pushing and prodding, however, seldom got him anywhere with Slade.

"Fine… so what's on our schedule for today? I have a history class in the afternoon, but-"

"Your classes have been cancelled for a few weeks," Slade told him unexpectedly.

"What? A vacation? Granted by you? Is the world ending?"

"This is just because you get homework over the weekends, isn't it?" the man smirked. "And no, the world isn't ending, but, as I said It's nothing-"

"-I have to be concerned about. Great. So… I'm with you for the day? Doing the pet-thing? Or can I go visit the Mongrels?"

"No, you are to stay here. Rose will come by in a little while and I suggest you cooperate."

"Slade… you're scaring me…" Robin said, and not untruthfully either.

"Everything is just fine," the man said and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, which _really _freaked Robin out. The man left soon after, after warning the teen not to wander off, offering no more explanations.

As promised, Rose knocked on the door only half an hour later, but she was as tightlipped as her employer. Robin had to go through a full physical, blood was drawn and he even had to leave a urine sample before being given a pill.

"You are to take one of these every morning and night for a week. I'll leave the rest with Slade."

"Care to explain why? Is there something wrong with me? What do these things_ do_?" Robin demanded to know.

"Unfortunately they don't stop you from asking questions," the doctor sighed. "There's nothing wrong with you, these are preventative."

"For _what_?"

"Just take the pill or I have to call Slade."

Robin muttered but took the thing and swallowed it with some water Rose was offering. He was pretty sure that if Slade was trying to kill him the man would be just a _tiny_ bit more direct about it. Like bullet-in-the-head direct.

"Good. Now, just a few shots and you're done," the woman told him.

"Shots? More needles? So typical of you…" Robin grumbled.

After the woman left he felt a bit drained and curled up on the bed, where he more or less dozed the day away, but if it was a result from whatever drugs he had gotten or just boredom he didn't know.

* * *

Things were definitely getting weirder and weirder. After a week of pills and occasional shots, Rose presented him with seven things that looked a bit like mouth thermometers, but that, apparently, wasn't what they were at all.

"You want me to do what?" the teen gaped.

"I want you to dip one of these in your urine each morning."

"But… but… these things… they are… are they like pregnancy tests?" Robin exclaimed.

Rose only snorted.

"Please, a wide range of measurements can be taken from the urine. Trust me," she said with a little smile, "you're not pregnant."

Robin just glared at her… that was a damn weird smile…

"Okaaaaay… pee on sticks… then what?"

"Then wait five minutes and if the control window here turns pink, call Slade immediately."

"What? Why?"

"Because he'll know what to do if that happens. If it's blue, just throw it away and take the test again the next day."

"Just tell me what's going _on_!" Robin begged, almost with tears in his eyes.

"Nope, sorry, that would… not be good for the treatment. But you are in good hands, Robin," Rose promised and smiled again.

"Seems like I'm in _psychotic_ ones to me…" the teen muttered.

He had been cooped up in the room for almost the whole week and was going crazy. He had to talk to someone who would not drug him up, and convinced Slade to be allowed to go and visit Rebecca. A few hours later he really, really wished he hadn't.

He found the woman on the couch, knitting. This wasn't something he had seen before, so he blinked.

"Um… hi? So what are you doing?"

"I'm knitting these cute little booties, look, aren't they tiny?" the woman smiled and showed him one that was already done. They were small, much too small for baby Rosie, who was wearing shoes now anyway.

"Yeah… cute… Um… is Rose pregnant?" Robin asked.

"No, no, not yet anyway. I don't think they will start trying until after the wedding."

"Oh, so… who are they for?"

"Will and Duncan!" the woman almost whispered excitedly.

"Oh? Err… what?" Robin said. He hadn't heard anything about them adopting another child.

"Yes, but it's a secret… you see, I overheard them talking the other day… Duncan has been working on the male pregnancy drug for a long time now, you know about that, don't you?" the woman asked.

Robin nodded, he had forgotten about it, but yeah, now when she said so…

"So… there's been results?"

"Yes, great ones too! They thought a uterus transplantation, or a artificial uterus, was necessary, but it seems not. The new treatment even takes the mother genes and creates an egg, it's amazing! Apparently it uses some kind of nano-technology to slowly rebuild the male body from inside… it takes days but it's not painful like a surgery."

"That's… weird… but… yeah… good for them, so they are trying?"

"Yes, I heard they talking about the first test-phases being complete… I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother again!" the woman smiled. "But you can't tell anyone! They are being so secretive, so I know they want it to be a surprise… I mean, things could go wrong…"

"Yeah…" Robin muttered. Something about this seemed wrong to_ him_, alright... He was happy for Will and Duncan, of course, but…

They left the subject and talked of other things until Slade came to fetch him in the evening. The next morning the stick-test turned pink.

Robin called Slade in almost a panic and, judging by the speed the man came rushing in through the door at, it was serious.

"What's wrong with me?" Robin asked, half way down the road to terrified.

"Nothing's wrong," the man claimed, which made Robin see red.

"Bullshit! The test showed something! What's wrong?"

"You're just a bit dehydrated," Slade claimed, leading him to the bed. "You should have a glass of water later… but for now… I have an hour or so free…"

Robin didn't understand the implication until he found himself on his back on the bed with Slade hovering above him.

"What? Sex? _Now_?" he asked, his mind in a complete jumble.

"Yes, now," the man grinned, and wouldn't be deterred.

The sex was weird. Not kinky-weird, but very weird for the situation, because it was very… to the point. This was the kind of sex they had when they both were horny or in a rush; not much foreplay, not much of anything, apart from getting off, and that didn't match with the kind of "middle of the day-romps" they occasionally had, which were always more… playful.

Robin could hardly complain about the quality of it, though, as the end result was as satisfying as ever, but the end…

"Could you get off me?" Robin asked as he was more or less folded double, legs and ass in the air, only really resting on his shoulder blades.

"Why not stay like this for a while… it's a good stretching exercise," Slade suggested pleasantly and didn't move.

"Have you gone _completely_ insane? I know you were teetering on the edge there, but…" Robin groaned.

"Just a few minutes more."

The teen just sighed and resign to his fate.

When that fate repeated itself over and over during the whole day and the next morning, however, he was really starting to lose it. He was again lying with his legs in the air, being supported by Slade who was fucking _reading _when he came to wonder if they had all just ganged up on him for some cruel experiem-

Robin's eyes widened and he stopped breathing. They couldn't be…? No… Noooo, Slade had told him himself that he didn't want any kids… so… but the pee sticks… but Rose had said he wasn't pregnant and why would-

"Oh god…" Robin groaned.

"Hmm? Still feeling good? Want to go again?" Slade asked, tearing his eye from the text. When he met Robin's wide, close to hysterical eyes, he smiled a little.

That smile. That damn creepy smile they all seemed to have acquired lately. Robin wanted to wipe it off permanently… with a sander… but he was too busy thinking of what he had just realized: that pee-stick tests weren't only used for testing pregnancies… they also were used to see if a woman was ovulating… which was the time she could get pregnant… which meant that, if you wanted a baby, that was the time to do a lot of…

"GET OFF ME!"

After Slade eventually did, Robin locked himself in the bathroom for a while. The thought of confronting the man made him cold, partly because Slade would maybe laugh because Robin had thought this crazy idea up, and the teen would feel like an idiot… the teasing from the man would never stop… or perhaps Slade would_ confirm_ it which was _so_ much worse. No, Robin decided, the idea was just stupid. No one was trying to get him pregnant, Slade was just… experimenting in bed or something. Yeah. And he was dehydrated. Possibly some vitamin deficiency. That was it. It would all go away.

But it didn't. One day later Rose returned with another pee-stick. Just one. This one, he was informed would show either nothing or a pink plus and a pink plus it showed… Rose just smiled that creepy smile, nodded and then went away for another day. There was only normal sex that night, although… slightly more tender?

The next day the doctor was back with a new stick, and this one showed a pink plus as well. The creepy smile got a little bigger and that night Slade and Robin had a very nice dinner. But no wine. There was always wine with these kinds of dinners. Always.

"Sooo… where's the booze?" Robin grinned jokingly.

"Hm? Oh, alcohol is not good for you in… your condition," Slade answered.

"What _condition_?" Robin asked tightly, clutching his utensils until his knuckles turned white.

"The dehydration," the man shrugged.

"I've been drinking a lot of water…" Robin pointed out in a growl.

"Oh, yes, but the effects of it can last for a surprisingly long time." the man claimed.

"How long?"

"Several months."

Robin was on the verge of accusing the man for… for… whatever it might be called… 'impregnation against one's will'? But, once more he bit down on it. It was crazy. He was not pregnant. It was just… no.

Whatever it was, it made the man act differently around him, however. He repeatedly asked what Robin wanted to eat, if he was 'in the mood' for something in particular. The teen thought it was a bit scary, but used the situation to get all his favorite meals and a lot of the chocolate and strawberry mousse he loved. Exercising was also different. Slade seemed suddenly to favor swimming, something he hadn't had since Robin beat him at it. There was no sparring at all, and Robin daydreamed of simply walking up to the man and bitch-slapping him to, hopefully, start a fight. Swimming was becoming so boring he could drown.

One night, two weeks after the, what Robin had started to fear really _was _pregnancy tests, he was laying in bed early in the morning, wondering what other clues he could find so he could confront the man once and for all. He had never paid much mind to pregnancy symptoms, which was probably natural as he was a guy, but he knew about cravings and morning sickness. He swallowed. He had been feeling a bit out of sorts lately, hadn't he? He swallowed again and sat up. Before he knew it he was rushing to the bathroom and throwing up in the toilet.

Slade came in after him.

"Robin? Are you okay?"

"No! No, I'm_ not_ okay! Slade… Slade am I… am I… Fuck, I can't even say it!" he stood up and wiped his mouth. "Am I pregnant?"

The man seemed to battle a grin, but then his face turned very carefully blank.

"We are scheduled to see Duncan this morning. Get dressed. He'll explain."

_Oh fuck. Oh fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck…. he was! He really was! Knocked up! He would have a baby! What the hell did he know about babies! Sure, he had helped to take care of Rosie, but… oh-god-oh-god-oh-god…._

He more or less hyperventilated all the way to the chemist lab, where Rose, William and even Rebecca were already waiting_. They all knew. They all… of fuck-fuck-fuck…_ Robin had to cling to either Slade or the floor because his world spun so much, and he picked the man, because that would make him look just a little bit less ridiculous.

"So Duncan… today's the day," Slade chuckled, making Robin want to use that sander again.

"Yes!" the younger man grinned. "Well, Robin… how do you feel?"

"Like hell! Did you knock me up, you bastard?"

This didn't cause the gasps he had expected, but rather laughter.

"Well, let me explain…" the chemist said. "I discovered something very interesting while studying your contemporary history, something I knew would cheer you up-"

"Well, knocking me up didn't," the teen growled.

"No, but maybe this will… happy April Fool's day!"

"Wha…. what?" Robin's jaw almost literally clattered against the floor.

"That's not how you say it? Is it 'merry April's fool'? The text weren't too clear on that…" the man said, suddenly looking uncertain.

"I… I… April's fool…?"

"It is the first of April," Slade pointed out like Robin should be expecting it.

"But… but… this had gone on for _weeks_! The pills, the shots, the… the sticks…?"

"I wanted it to be great!" Duncan beamed.

"He wanted you to be able to get to experience some of the old traditions of your time, since most of them are gone," Slade said. "We just decided to play along."

"Play along…? Robin mumbled, still in shock. "PLAY ALONG? YOU FUCKED ME RAW!"

"Well, that was a_ perk_," the man smirked.

"And you!" Robin swiveled to point at Rose. "Those pills! Those shots?"

"Sugar pills and vitamins," the doctor grinned.

"But… but… the tests?"

"Was prepped to be either pink or blue when exposed to fluids of any kind,"

"But I have been… this morning I…. I…."

"That's the amazing thing about imagination," Slade chuckled. "If you think you are feeling sick you can_ make_ yourself sick… particularly when it comes to nausea."

"I… I…" Robin didn't know what to say.

"Was… wasn't it funny?" Duncan asked after a while, a bit worried now. "Did I get it wrong? I asked Slade but-"

"But he wouldn't tell you that these kinds of things usually go along the lines of 'look, a bear!'" Robin growled. "I bet he loved your idea."

"Well, yes but… you didn't?" the chemist asked sadly.

"I… I'm still in shock… But I'm _extremely_ happy that I'm not pregnant…" the teen said tiredly. "I will probably be able to laugh at this later… in ten years or so…"

"Oh, good!" Duncan exclaimed. "Me and Will have an announcement, though, because you might not be but… I am!"

"Sure you are," Robin muttered.

"No, it's really true! No fooling this time!" the young man beamed, and Will was wearing an equally large smile.

"What… you're… you're really?" Robin gasped, as Rebecca started to sob from happiness and Rose slapped her twin's back.

"Way to go, bro!" she grinned.

The next moment it was all a big hug-fest, sans Slade, but the man was hugged by both Rebecca and Duncan a minute later. The rest of the group either had better self preservation or no inclination to do that.

When the initial congratulations were over and done with, Rebecca announced that they would have a big dinner at their place tonight in celebration, and that it was mandatory.

Not much later Robin found himself alone with Slade and glared at the man.

"That was _not _cool."

"I thought it was hilarious."

"Yes, you would. But this mean that sparring is back on the table, isn't it?"

"Of course."

"Good. Let's go. You will be in so much pain that, even with your powers, you won't be able to eat anything tonight. And I will get soooooo drunk!"

"I like the thought of the last part."

"Let's see how much you like it with all your ribs broken…" the teen growled.

"Well…" Slade chuckled as he followed an irate bird on the way to the training-rooms. "We'll see who is sorest in the morning…"

_The End._

* * *

A/N: been waiting to write this for a loooong time, but, for obvious reasons, I had to wait until today. Hope you enjoyed… ;)


	25. Getting What You Want

A/N: IF the alerts went out this time, which I hoped they did (because they didn't for the last chapter of By Royal Command)… how shocked are you at a 2061 update? ;) This is a PUNISHMENT DRABBLE for **Gisterma** which I had to write as I didn't reach my weight goal for two weeks in a row… I'm back on track now, though… ;) (these weird things are going on in the duckling facebook group, just to explain…) ;) And it's also for **hanakisa**, because of… a reason…

Furthermore: have you an idea how hard it is to write baby-talk in a foreign language? And drunk-talk too, although there is no such thing in THIS story… I know what SWEDISH kids sound like, what letters they usually skip and stuff like that… but English? Still, I hope I didn't do a HORRIBLE job…

No particular warnings for this drabble. As it's just a one-shot it's mostly domestic, but it gave me an idea I MIGHT build on in the future. And it was very nice writing 2061 Slade and Robin again… I like their weird relationship… ;)

* * *

**Getting What You Want**

"Rosie? What color?" Robin asked the toddler sitting across from him on the floor, a pile of building blocks between them. He had grabbed one of the blocks and held it out to the child.

"-ed!" she said happily, grabbed it, an promptly started gnawing at it.

"Yes! Red! Good girl! This one… what color?"

"-ello!"

"Yes, yellow. _Yellow_. Good!"

The girl laughed happily and Robin joined in, as the sound was simply impossible to resist.

"Thank you for helping out and keeping us company," Duncan huffed from the sofa. Everything he said was spoken in huffs, but then again, he was eight months pregnant.

"No problem, it's great to have you here," Robin grinned. "Although how you could waddle all the way from the elevator, I don't know…"

"Hey, be nice! I'm doing something only women are tough enough to do here…" the scientist snorted.

"Appreciating the 'weaker' sex more?" Robin smirked.

"Not in _that _way, but yes… how any human body could have been built for this, I don't know…"

"Have you set a date for the c-section?"

"Yes, three weeks from now. I can't wait…"

"Isn't it weird, though?" Robin asked vaguely. "To be pregnant?"

"I don't know… _was_ it?" the man grinned. "You were almost there too, after all,"

"Stop it, I _still _haven't forgiven you for that joke," the teen muttered. "Rosie, no, not in your mouth. Look, what's this color? Yes, blue… bluuuue."

"You seem to like kids, though… are you sure you and Slade don't want to-"

"_Very_ sure!" Robin cut him off. "Besides, Slade do_ not_ want children."

"He said that?"

"Yes, but the real proof is that if he _had_ wanted them, I would probably been pregnant with the second one by now…" the teen said dryly. "It wouldn't have been up to _me_."

"Are you so sure of that? Because, Robin, he _does_ care about y-"

"No. Yes. But not like that. He can be… nice, but if there's something he wants, he takes it."

"I sure do," a smug voice said from the door.

"What are you doing back? Get out there and be the breadwinner!" Robin snapped teasingly.

"I'm just changing before a meeting," the man said dryly.

"LAID! LAID!" Rosie called excitedly.

"We need to work on her 'S'es'…" Robin groaned.

"Maybe she's trying to tell me something?" the man smirked, while Duncan was looking quite embarrassed.

"Nope. Definitely not. We have guests."

"We also have a bathroom?"

"No. Rosie, what did I tell you to call uncle Slade? Do you remember?"

"POO 'ED!"

"Yes, poo head, very good," Robin grinned proudly.

"You are raising the rebellion, I see. Lovely. We'll have to cut back on your babysitting before you do more harm," the tyrant muttered while unbuttoning the cuffs to the shirt he intended to change.

"Laid, plane? Plane!" the girl asked, then demanded. She had gotten up on her feet and was now walking, pretty steadily, towards the man with her arms raised.

Robin laughed heartedly at Slade's expression. They, or rather Robin, had babysat one evening, and the girl had really missed her parents, who were having a very rare romantic evening together. She wouldn't stop crying… until Slade had stepped in.

"No time for the air plane today," the man said sternly. Rosie, however, had adopted Robin's view on what to do when the man said 'no'; try again and wear him down if needed. Although Rosie's wobbly lip and teary eyes were actually believable. Not that Robin resorted to that kind of stuff. Often. In either case he only did it as a joke. And because it sometimes worked.

"PLANE! P-plaaaaaane!"

"What is she talking about?" Duncan asked quietly.

"Just wait and see..." Robin whispered back. "He'll crack at any moment, I can tell."

"Fine," the man then said and crouched down, extending his arms. "Plane."

The girl laughed, ran to him, and soon the room was filled with happy shrieks as Slade lifted her on straight arms and made her 'fly' around, now and then throwing her up a little bit in the air.

"Oh… wow…" Duncan was clearly too stunned to see his boss doing anything like this. Robin, who was more used to what passed as Slade's 'human' side, just snickered.

"It's lucky we have high ceilings, at least…" he mumbled.

"That's enough, I have to go to work now," the white haired man said after a few minutes.

"More! More!"

"I said no, Rosie," Slade said in a voice that made Robin want to straighten his back. There was a certain tone he used sometimes which you just had to obey. Not Rosie, though.

"Poo 'ed!"

"Yes, so I've been told," the man sighed and set her down. "Robin, take over."

"Oh, I can't be trusted with doing the plane, I'm just a pet!" the teen grinned.

"It's funny how you cling to that even _months_ after you ascended from that title. Do you really miss it _that_ much?" Slade said sweetly.

"Nope, just kidding!" the former hero said quickly.

"Oin pet?" Rosie asked.

"No, no, no, Robin is the _best_," the teen tried, but the child had found a new word to try out.

"Oin pet! Laid pet!"

"Well… can't argue with_ that_…" Robin muttered. "I've been laid a _lot_."

"Lucky you, stop bragging," Duncan huffed. "A certain someone thinks the stomach is a balloon and that we'll pop it somehow if we do more than cuddle…"

"Daddy pet?" Rosie asked.

"I wish, sweetie," Duncan said and held out his arms to her. "Come here… it's time to go home and get some lunch."

"Are you sure you don't want to stick around? It sounds like Slade is going to put on a strip show…?" the former hero said temptingly.

"I've already changed," the man snorted from in front of the closets.

"Damn, I missed it!" Robin complained and turned to face the man. "You shouldn't be so ashamed of your body, Slade, it's not healthy. You're fine just the way you are, you know?"

"Why thank you. You too, and as you said; you shouldn't feel ashamed… so maybe I'll let you put on a show on our next business party, then?" the man smirked.

"I only do _private _ones…" Robin said and glanced towards the closet where all his outfits were. They weren't used much, most of it wasn't even unpacked, but sometimes… just to make sure things didn't get boring…

"You should start practicing, I'll expect a show tonight then…" Slade leered.

"Singing too?"

"God, no."

"My voice is not that bad!"

"Yes it is."

"Tell him, Duncan!"

"I… I'm not sure if I've ever actually heard you-"

"One bottle of beer on the wall, one bottle of beer! Take one-" That was as far as Robin got before Rosie started wailing, looking quite distraught.

"Everyone's a critic…" the teen sulked.

"Maybe… you can take lessons?" Said Duncan, diplomatic to his core.

"Like I said, no singing…" Slade chuckled. "I shouldn't be very late."

"Wait, what's the meeting about? Why aren't I going?" Robin asked.

"Because it doesn't concern you. It's about the power shortage, or rather, _expected_ power shortage, as more industries are established in the new industrial area in Germany."

"Ah, yes… well, have fun."

"You're bored already, aren't you?" the man snorted.

"Well, if it's not about _people_…" Robin tried.

"It_ is_, but you are always more interested in rescuing individual puppies than the big picture."

"Just looking at the big picture means you let those puppies die," Robin muttered.

"I don't see your point," the man claimed with a smirk.

"No, it takes a heart for that," Robin smirked back.

"Um… so… We'll be going now…" Duncan said from the door. "Don't want to be a third wheel when you're flirting like that."

"This isn't flirting!" Robin snorted.

"It isn't?" Slade asked innocently.

"Go to your meeting. Shoo," the teen said, waving him away.

"Ah, if it hadn't been an important one I would have stayed and flirted you into the mattress," the man sighed. "But it has to wait until tonight."

"I'll try to figure out who to fantasize about until then, then," Robin deadpanned.

"You do that. But you know, claiming you're not thinking of me and then screaming my name over and over is a _bit_ suspicious."

"You don't know! Maybe I met another Slade!" Robin huffed.

"Bye-bye!" the girl called out.

"Bye-bye Rosie!" Robin answered, turning to the door and waving.

"Bye pet! Bye Laid!" the girl grinned like she was messing with them on purpose.

"Goodbye Rose, you be a good girl now. No rebellions," Slade chuckled. "And you," he said turning to Robin and catching the teen's jaw. "You be a good boy. No rebellions. Again."

"Can't promise anything," Robin smiled and closed his eyes as the man leaned in to kiss him. When their lips parted the former Titan also found himself wishing that meeting could be pushed back. He had long since gotten over his guilt for wanting Slade. Sure, it might be based on a form of Stockholm syndrome from the beginning, perhaps, and the man had screwed with his mind as much as with his body, Robin _knew_ that, but he was beyond caring. As long as he was happy, and he usually was, it was all good. After all, now he was able to _help_ people more and more…. And Slade wasn't a bad man… as psycho dictators went.

"I'll be back in no more than two hours," the man almost growled, his husky voice telling Robin that the tyrant thought his time would have been better spent here.

"What if the meeting runs late?" he teased.

"I'll kill them all and start over with a new group of experts," the man said. Robin wasn't _sure _if it was really a joke.

"You might want to start the meeting with that, because there's always that one guy…" the young man suggested.

"Yes, the 'any further questions' guy, I know that type," Slade smirked. "I'll warn them. Disposing of the bodies would take too long anyway."

"Pft. That's what the cleaning crew is for…" the teen snorted dismissingly.

The man chuckled and kissed him again before leaving.

Robin found himself looking at the closed door and sighing wistfully, before mentally slapping himself.

"Damn, when it comes to spreading my legs I must be the most eager one on the planet…" he snorted. "Well… not fair to the others, I guess… I'm the only one who has Slade…" he smirked at that thought, but that's what it felt like. _He had Slade_. Slade didn't have _him_, oh no…. not anymore. Robin might have bowed to certain…_ propositions_, to keep people he cared for safe, but if Slade thought he_ owned_ him, the man was kidding himself. Actually, the cooperation between the Mongrels and the city was so well rooted now that Robin felt assured that even if he was to just disappear, Slade wouldn't lash back at the mongrels for petty revenge. They had already convinced the board that the rebuild and cooperation was for everyone's best interest and that how it had worked out: the city was getting restored, the Mongrels were safer and, in exchange for labor, they received help and materials that made their community flourish. Robin knew that Slade still saw them as something of a threat; very few other people in the city were free, after all, but the teen was working towards wearing the man down when it came to slaves. As he had pointed out; medicine could control the population now, even men could be injected with a drug making them impotent until they received an 'antidote' so to speak, meaning that the man's organization could still make sure 'undesirable' elements wouldn't procreate.

Back in his own day Robin would have shivered at the thought; it was very nazi-like, after all, but he knew Slade wasn't after creating a 'super race' of people with special physical, sexual or mental attributes, he simply asked that they would work_ for_ the society he ultimately wanted to build. Which might be a tall order on its own, granted… but Robin had seen many parents in his day that should have never been allowed to have kids, so when he saw it from that point of view… he shook his head. When he started thinking like this it tended to lead to a headache… just letting everyone go and do as they pleased in this post-apocalyptic world could never lead to anything good, though… there would be wars and high crime rates again in a second. People could be very… dumb. Still, a world where everyone was free was Robin's goal and he worked towards it tirelessly. The Mongrels would be proof, on a small scale, that it was possible, he was sure of that.

To clear his mind a bit he went down to the gym and swam a few laps in the pool. When it was about half an hour until Slade might be back he showered, dressed and took the elevator back up to 'their' floor again. He had free range of the building now… and outside it too, he expected, but he wasn't stupid enough to leave without at least leaving a note. Or telling William, which might be a better bet.

"Hi, Will," he greeted the assistant who ruled the front desk of this floor as usual. "He's not back yet, is he?"

"No… I'm thinking of scheduling a meeting for him when he returns though, do you happen to know if he's busy?"

"Um… yeah… he's gonna be busy for at least half an hour or so," Robin claimed, trying to look innocent.

"Riiiight…" William, of course, saw right through him and did this weird thing where he managed to smirk and blush at the same time. Robin would be very surprised if he and Duncan had more than vanilla sex. Which reminded him…

"Speaking about scheduling appointments, and by scheduling appointments I mean raw, hot, very fulfilling fucking… you should schedule some with your husband. Duncan has an itch and you're not helping him scratch it."

"He… you…_ talked_ about that?"

"Nope, but he had that 'I need to get laid' look," Robin fibbed as he didn't want to get the man in trouble. "We bottoms know…"

"Hey, he doesn't always-" the man began but then clicked his mouth shut, his face redder now.

"Oh… well, neither do _I_..." Robin grinned. "I'll see you around," he added an continued into the hallway leading to their private rooms.

He decided to get some reading done. He still had a few lessons a week where he was learning about the world of today and they were very useful, even though it was depressing as hell sometimes to learn about destroyed cities and catastrophic epidemics in the wake of destruction. Still, he needed to know this to form a clearer picture about what needed to be done.

Slade liked to read in bed, and Robin had adopted that habit so he curled up with his folders and binders and focused on his work for a while. He found it hard, though, no pun intended, as his thoughts kept straying back to Slade. Not that he had anything to complain about when it came to matters of their bedroom activities, but there was something he had been wanting for a while now… something he could _not_ ask for in a million years. The very thought of bringing it up made Robin cringe, but he _did_ want to try it again, even though it was very humiliating and degrading… or maybe because it was. The teen snorted. He had really become very deprived, hadn't he. He forced his mind back to his assignment.

"Is _this _the show I get?" Slade's voice suddenly said. "You reading? What's sexy about that?"

Robin had been engrossed in the text and especially the pictures of how the planet looked today and jumped a little. He composed himself quickly, though, and grinned.

"How about a studying schoolboy?"

"Slightly better,, but you're out of uniform."

"Is that… a _punishable_ offence, Sir?" Robin asked innocently. "Please don't call my parents! I'll do_ anything_!"

The man chuckled and shook his head at his antics.

"Dinner will be here shortly," he said as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Let them in, I'm just taking a quick shower."

"What, you don't want to play 'innocent school boy and stern teacher' with me?" Robin gaped. "And I was going to agree to blow you and everything."

"Well, thanks to Darin I actually_ would_ be missing out, wouldn't I?" the man smirked.

"Well, that was just _mean_," the teen muttered.

"Ah, you know I loved having my cock in your mouth even when you –pardon the pun- sucked at it."

"_No_ court would pardon that pun…" Robin snorted. "Now go get less stinky and I'll consider forgiving you in a few years."

"You are too kind," Slade chuckled.

"I know," the teen smirked.

As the shower started running, Robin considered how kind he really _was._ Then he grinned and quickly undressed.

"I thought I was in the doghouse," Slade said as the former hero slipped into the shower with him.

"I don't hold a grudge for long," the teen grinned and caressed the man's body.

"Yes you do. Besides, I told you to let the kitchen staff in."

"Well… I'm not hungry."

"Pity," Slade said and pushed down on the young man's shoulders. "Not even a little snack?"

"Fine," Robin snorted and fell to his knees. "But don't you dare come anywhere else than in my ass!"

"Who can resist a demand like that?"

"Not you, I know_ that_…" Robin smirked before licking the tip of the man's shaft. "Oh, and I was thinking about the slaves before-"

"Don't you dare. I'm not discussing this with you during _or_ right after sex."

"But _that's_ when I can get you to agree with me!" the former Titan objected, the gleam in his eyes and the way he then sucked in the head, telling the man that he only teasing.

"Exactly. I've learned."

"I just need to get you a little hornier…" the teen stated confidently, took a deep breath and then swallowed the man's cock to the base.

"I'm feeling more open to negotiations already…" Slade hummed, leaning his head back against the tiles and enjoying the sensation.

Robin hummed around what he man would probably call his 'treat'. He still didn't love giving blow jobs, but having Slade practically melting into the wall because of his talent…? Robin loved _that_. It was all about power and who had it during one of these times was up for discussion… it probably depended on who you asked…

Slade had had a long day and he had spent most of it being annoyed at people he couldn't kill… not without creating more annoying work for himself anyway, so he was welcoming a release right now. Unfortunately Robin noticed.

"You were about to come, you bastard!" the teen said as he pulled away, not before grabbing and squeezing the man's balls to get him back from the edge. "I told you not to!"

"I can come in your ass later," Slade growled, but the former hero would have none of that. He wanted to be fucked. Now. He turned off the water and covered the man's length with the waterproof lube they kept in here -Robin had accidentally used it as conditioner once- and then lifted his arms and placing his hands on the man's shoulder, looking up at him demandingly.

"Well? My ass isn't going lift itself."

A moment later Robin's legs were wound around the man's waist, his back against the tiles, as Slade guided himself to the eager teen's entrance.

"Mmm… slowly… I want to enjoy it…" Robin mumbled.

"I think I've been cooperative enough for today," Slade snorted and slammed himself in.

"UGH! Well… maybe… this… is… what… I _really _wanted?" Robin groaned blissfully as the man set a hard, fast pace.

"You have a hard time admitting when you've lost, don't you?" Slade smirked.

"I_ never_ lose," Robin snorted. "Ever. I just… take breaks from winning."

"Well, I bet I can make you come within four minutes," Slade challenged him.

Robin grinned. "I feel a break coming on."

* * *

When they came out from the bathroom, there was no dinner waiting for them.

"Maybe they are just running late?" Robin said as he struggled into a pair rather skinny jeans while his skin still was a little wet.

"Or they left it with William, I'll go check with him," Slade said and disappeared out the door. When he returned he had a peculiar expression on his face.

"The food will be along shortly, there was a mishap in the kitchen," he said.

"What's so strange about that?" the teen asked. "You look like it's never happened before."

"It's not that, it's Will… he could barely look me in the eye."

"Huh…" Robin mused. "He didn't seem strange when I talked to him a little while ago."

"What did you talk about?"

"Oh, I just told him to go home and bonk his husband…" Robin chuckled.

"Yes, well, a normal day at the office for William, then," Slade smirked. "I'm actually happy he can't file a sexual harassment claim…"

"_I_ would be first in line for _that_ one," the teen snorted. "But he was just blushing… and I can't think of anything else I might… have…. said…"

"You just did and it's _bad_, judging by your expression…" the man growled. "_What_ did you say to my assistant?"

"Um… I didn't realize it at the time, and it was _true _after all, but I think I might have accidentally… alluded that I sometimes… top you."

"I see."

"I meant that I had topped_ Darin_!" Robin defended himself as Slade's facial expression was a bit… closed off.

"I understand."

"I'll… just go clear that up, shall I?" Robin said and moved towards the door.

"I would recommend that you do, yes."

The teen didn't waste any time legging it down the hall.

"Will! Hi!" he said, turning the corner and stopping dead at the man's desk.

"Hello. Done with that 'appointment' now?"

"Um, yeah… sorry, I think you misunderstood something earlier… when I said I sometimes top-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Will said and all but covered his ears.

"It was Darin! A slave! We… ummm… on that trip to China…"

"So… not Slade, then?"

Robin laughed. "No… no-no-no… could you picture him- oh, sorry, I understand if you don't want to… _I _don't even really want to…"

"You don't? I mean… Slade has… he can be quite… ummm… controlling. You don't dream of… being the one in control?"

"Pft, I'm _always_ the one I control," Robin smirked smugly.

"Are you telling my assistant lies again?" Slade asked behind him.

"Nope. We both know who runs this place, sweetie. Now, be a dear and get your pretty self into the kitchen and make me a sandwich, huh?" the teen ginned and patted the man's ass before walking back down the hall.

"William," Slade said and removed his belt. "Tell the kitchen there's no need to hurry…"

"You're… going to… punish him?" the blond man asked.

"Yes," Slade said through gritted teeth and then sighed giving his assistant a tired look. "But do you know what the worst thing is?"

"No?"

"That he has been hinting that he'd like a spanking for a few _days_… so I'm just going to do exactly what he wants…" the tyrant said, giving another deep sigh. "Again."

_The End_

* * *

A/N: as I said: domestic... but I figured that IF Robin ever wanted to be spanked in this universe there was no way he could ASK for it, right? Slade's smugness factor would go through the roof. So he had to... provoke it... ;) But of course Slade knew it all along, because damn him...


	26. Family Matters

A/N: well hello again! This is another "punishment drabble" and, curiously enough, this one is ALSO for 2060… but for another person: **AGriffin. **This takes place three weeks after the last drabble, and maybe you can figure out what THAT means… or you will in a few seconds… ;) I'm afraid it's not very long, it just didn't turn out that way… -_-

* * *

**Family Matters**

They had arrived at the hospital in good time. Robin had barely been able to sleep all night, and had kept Slade awake too with his tossing and turning. Their enhanced bodies, especially Slade's, really didn't require much sleep, but the man claimed that –needed or not- it was good for the mind to rest. The teen's mind had been buzzing too much, though, and the butterflies in his stomach didn't make it better.

The surgery had an observation deck where they were now standing, and it was pretty crowded with the whole Wintergreen clan there. Baby Rosie wasn't present, though, she was being looked after in the hospital's play-room for now. Robin peered down on Duncan who was prepped and ready, shroud in green sheets of different sizes. He was talking to William who was holding his hand. They both looked pretty pale and nervous. Well… William actually looked _terrified_.

"My twin never liked hospitals," Rose said as Robin commented on this.

"Good thing_ you_ became the doctor, then…" the young man grinned. "Um… so… why aren't you don't this?"

"Not my area. Besides, should something go wrong…"

"Don't say that!" Rebecca said, and hugged her husband's arm tighter. "Oh, Randolph, I'm so scared!"

"It will all go just fine," Slade said calmly from Robin's left.

"See? Slade has spoken. Nothing would dare to happen now," the teen grinned at the man.

"Exactly," the tyrant smirked back.

The doctor entered the room below and the expecting parents and him talked for a while. There was an intercom system but it wasn't on, so Robin could only assume they just went over the procedure and what would happen. A few nurses fluttered around and checked readings and whatever; the former hero had no idea and he was too anxious to really care; he just wanted to yell at them to get it done already. A partition went up between Duncan's head and his stomach so he wouldn't see what was going on. Will, Robin noticed, stayed very close to his husband's head too, apparently not that eager to see him cut up.

"They are about to begin," Slade said and Robin moved until he had his back against the large viewing window and was staring at the buttons of the man's shirt. "You're not going to watch?" Slade chuckled.

"No," Robin mumbled. "Just tell me if everything seems to be going fine, okay?"

"I'm hardly an expert commentator…" the man answered dryly.

"No, but you know what it looks like when people are dying, after all," the former hero answered in the same tone, and then sighed, resting his forehead against the man's chest. He only rarely were this intimate with the man around the Wintergreens, but right now he needed to be. Rebecca had Randolph, Rose had Michael and was holding on to her grandmother Mary as well.

"No one will die," Slade snorted and rested a hand on the back of his neck. Robin felt the reassurance and smiled.

"I still won't look."

"You don't have to."

"I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl?" Robin then wondered aloud.

"My money is on a girl," Rose grinned.

"Wait, do you know? Did you cheat somehow?" the teen demanded to know.

"No," the blonde snorted. "I'm just guessing."

"Well, then… I'll say it's a boy," Robin grinned.

"Then my money is on a toaster," Slade muttered, and got his arm slapped by Rebecca.

Robin caught the look on the man's face when that happened and burst out laughing.

"Aw, did she hurt you, sweetie? Let me kiss and make it better," the teen grinned and then put on a show about making a fuss over Slade's 'injury'.

"Didn't you want to see a baby getting born?" the man snorted. "Because if you did, you just missed it."

"What? Already?" Robin whipped around in time to see a lump being taken to a nearby table, which were swarmed by nurses, making it impossible to see anything.

"A c-section only takes around five to ten minutes… its stitching you back up afterwards that takes time," Rose explained.

"What are they doing? Is something wrong?" Rebecca wanted to know.

"They are just making sure the airways are clean, things like that," her daughter told her. "No one is panicking, so nothing is wrong."

The doctor exchanged a few words with the new parents who nodded, and then the man headed over to the wall, activating the intercom.

"Will and Duncan just had a healthy baby boy. I recommend you go take a cup of coffee and you will be called to their room to meet them in about an hour," he said.

Robin waved happily at the new parents who both smiled and waved back.

They practically had to drag Rebecca out of the room until Robin reminded her that they had to go get Rosie so she could meet her baby brother.

They sat down to wait in a surprisingly nice café. Robin hadn't really noticed before, but when he now looked around he realized that this whole floor was most likely on lock-down to be at the Wintergreen's –that was Slade's- disposal. It was staffed well, though, of course, even though the people behind the desk were a bit nervous and let them know that everything was –of course- completely free of charge. Robin snickered at the thought of Slade paying for a sticky bun. Not that he had chosen one, he just had a black cup of coffee, but Rosie, sitting in his lap, had one in her hands, making a mess of everything, including Slade. She had insisted, on sitting there, though. Hanging with her grandma was something she did almost every day, after all. Slade and Robin she saw a bit more seldom.

"Laid bun?" she asked politely.

"No thank y-" The man didn't get any further until he had half a sticky bun mashed into his mouth… and beard.

"I love you so much, Rosie… please never change?" Robin gasped, in the middle of a giggle fit.

"Pet bun?"

"No, don't feed the _pet_," Slade chuckled as he wiped his mouth.

"Robin, Rosie. _Robin_. _Not_ 'pet'. It's not cute anymore," the teen sighed. "You have been calling me that for weeks now!"

"'Obin."

"Yes! Good!"

"Obin Laid's pet!"

"Correct. Good girl," the man nodded smugly.

"Noooo…" Robin groaned.

"Obin sad?" Rosie asked worriedly and then held out a very grubby hand. "Obin bun?"

The teen sighed and took the last, soggy and crumbled, remains of the bun and popped it in his mouth.

Even with Rosie there to entertain them the wait felt long. When a nurse finally arrived to tell them that the family was ready for visitors they all more or less shot to their feet. The toddler made a bit of a fuss on the long walk through the corridors, though. Rosie would only walk between Robin and Slade, holding their hands and shouting with joy when they swung her back and forth on every other step.

The teen glanced over that the tyrant and grinned. Slade didn't even seem terribly embarrassed about the whole thing… Rosie had apparently finally worn him down. A true pro.

When the girl saw her father, however, she ditched her playmates and ran into his arms instead. William picked her up, hugging her tightly.

"Want to see your little brother?" he asked, and walked towards the bed where Duncan was resting with the baby in his arms. The others stayed back while the girl got a look on the little pink thing.

"Babby?"

"Yes, that's the baby… that's your brother…" Will said, sounding a bit choked up. "Isn't he cute?"

"Nooooo…." Rosie let them know and giggled. "I had bun!" she informed her father next.

The first thing Slade said when he got a close look at the child was also a bit unexpected. "Care to explain what he is wearing?" the man snorted.

"Yes, _ROBIN_…" Will growled, glaring at the teen. "We had had the bags packed for _DAYS_, including clothes we had picked out, but for _some reason_, only this bodysuit was in it now!"

"I have _no_ idea why you are looking at _me_!" Robin said innocently and then grinned down on the babe who had "Mongrel Rebel" printed on his little chest. "Are you okay, Duncan?" he then asked the 'mother'.

"Yeah, a bit sore, but I'll be fine…" the man grinned, so happy that you could probably scrape it off him and sell it by the pound.

"What are you going to call him?" the teen asked next, looking at those tiny, tiny fingers grasping at a corner of the blanket.

"Well… we wanted the William name to continue, of course, but two 'William' when we already have two 'Rose'? No… so William is going to be his second name and we're going to call him David."

"That's a nice name, I like it," Robin smiled. "And yeah, more with the same names would be… weird…"

"Would you like to hold him?"

"No! No, I'd break him," Robin said, stepping away from the bed. "Let him get to know his grandma instead."

"Yes, come to nana," Rebecca beamed. "Hello! Oh, he looks_ just_ like Will did as a baby!"

Robin withdrew a little as the family talked and cooed. He watch the scene with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart, but he still felt like… a guest. A friend of the family… because that was what he _was_, after all.

He looked across the room at Slade, who also had stepped back after offering his congratulations. Rosie had been let down and was currently trying to climb up the man's legs, before Slade snorted and simply lifted her up. She giggled and patted his beard, which she was very fond off, for some reason. It was a novelty to her, the teen guessed. The man was also just 'a friend of the family', the former hero knew, but after Robin had come into the picture he had been more of a landlord and a boss to the Wintergreen's, no matter how much Rebecca had tried to make him –or rather force him- to be closer to them. Robin was pretty sure that it was mostly because of him that the man was here at all today… old Slade probably wouldn't have been. Robin knew he had done a lot of good in this time, especially with the Mongrels of course, but he took a little bit of pride in having Slade act more human too… in fact he thought he deserved a really big award for that, because it wasn't an easy thing to achieve…

They had only stayed for half an hour when a nurse came to let them know that they would have to leave soon, as the parents and little David needed to rest. Also the baby and the 'mother' had a few more checkups to go through before they could leave the hospital tomorrow.

"Call me when you get home!" the teen told Duncan. "And if you need to sleep, I can watch the kids!"

"You are not a kindergarten, Robin," Slade told him. "Besides, weren't you afraid you'd break the baby?"

"Oh… right… I might need a lesson or two first… were you ever so small, Rosie?"

"No?" the toddler grinned.

"Thought not," the former hero grinned back.

* * *

Robin couldn't fall asleep that night. He didn't know why, he just felt… giddy…

It really was quite late so he tried to roll over and just relax, but it was futile. He sighed and shuffled up into a sitting position, looking down at a sleeping Slade. He reached over to poke the man in the chest but found his wrist caught in a steel grip.

"Ow! It's just me!" he hissed. "What the hell, usually you can sleep through me climbing all_ over_ you!"

"It has to do with the intent, I think," Slade smirked. "You wanted something. What?"

"I can't sleep."

"So?"

"Entertain me."

The man smirked and then pulled a chuckling Robin down on his back and rolled on top of him. They had both gone to bed naked as they tended to do more often than not, so all either of them felt was skin against skin. When Slade lifted one of the teen's legs to get into a better position, however, the young man placed a hand on his cheek.

"No, wait…" he mumbled and pulled the older man down for a long, soft, lazy kiss. When it ended the teen's cheeks were a little rosy. "I want to do it like this…" he whispered and kissed the man again.

Slade caught on, of course, and didn't mind. He slowly caressed the young man's neck and chest before trailing kisses down his body. They became more and more entangled in each other, and even when the man entered Robin they continued to move as in slow motion, just experiencing every breath, every touch, every flexing muscle. When they both got closer to the edge a little more was needed, though. The teen looked into Slade's eye, smiling, signaling that it was time and as one, their speed changed. Their bodies_ slammed _together, nails buried themselves in flesh, fingers tightened their previously gentle grip. Soft sighs and moans turned into cries of pleasure. Breaths turned into grunts. Hot skin turned sweaty and flushed – and.. and then it was over, leaving only the sounds of panting and a quiet chuckle behind as the pleasure slowly ebbed away.

"That was…" Slade seemed to have to think about what to say next, which was unusual, "…different."

"Different good… or bad?" Robin asked, the carelessness in his voice giving away how much he really_ did_ care about the answer.

"Good." The man didn't hesitate this time. They were still closely entwined and Slade didn't seem interested in changing that. Instead he kissed the young man again, softly as before.

"I wanted it to be like that… because of what happened today…" Robin mumbled and didn't pull away either, quite the opposite.

"The c-section?"

"No, my afternoon class. _Of course_ the c-section," the teen snorted. "Weren't you nervous?"

"It was a fairly routine procedure-"

"It hadn't been done on a _man_ before!"

"Still, there was very little cause for worry."

"So you weren't?" the teen asked and met the man's gaze straight on.

"No."

Robin chuckled. "Liar! That was a lie, I could tell!"

"If you say so."

"I like…" Robin hesitated but then found his courage again. "I _like_ that you worry… it shows that you… care."

"I want my friend's great grandson to be happy, yes… and for him to have a great great grandson too. What's wrong?" the man then asked, frowning, "You shuddered?"

"I just… what if we… what if we lose track one day? What if we're here to see the birth of his great great great great great great great great great great great great grandchild? Doesn't that scare you?"

Slade looked down at Robin and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Not anymore."

_The End_

* * *

A/N: Yeah, Slade is officially a kitten in this universe now. Sorry. ;) But… no… yes… no… yes… no… no… I don't think he is… that is, that he HAS to be… he wouldn't care about hurting or killing people if he thought that was the best thing to do, and the scary part is that I don't think he would hesitate in hurting Robin either, if he thought THAT was the best way to do whatever he wanted to do… but I think he would consider other options first… which is PRACTICALLY true love, isn't it? *laughs sarcastically* I should write something where we get to see the dangerous Slade more, perhaps… give me suggestions, in case someone wishes for more from this universe next time I screw up my diet, okay? ;)

In the mean time you should go and read my first original story "Now See Here". It's slash and you can find it here: original,adultfanfiction,net/story,php?no=600106335 and here: www,wattpad,com/story/6268076-now-see-here-m-m AND here: www,fictionpress,com/~wynja (just change commas for dots). Yup, three places. Trying to decide which one is the best… ;) The next chapter of that one will be up on Saturday (as I write this on June 20'th 2013)… hope you enjoy! There. Done advertizing. ;)


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